PolarBlue

Pretty much everyone I know has drank and driven at some point. I imagine it's pretty routine for most alcoholics since we tend to always have some amount of alcohol coursing through our veins. Active alcoholics that is.

Luckily I've never had a DUI. Usually when I was out drinking excessively someone else was driving. Is it safe to say that most who've drank for a number of years have had one?

I often think of how much worse things would be for a lot of people if I was in an accident and charged with manslaughter. I've had people refuse to let me go home after too much to drink, even though I wanted to. A friend of mine locked me in his pool area and I was too drunk to figure out how to open the door. It could have saved lives.

EJ43

Never had a DUI, deserved MANY!

Dee74

I was a very bad driver - and that was sober - so I never drove drunk.
I was a passenger many many times with drunk drivers tho, so I claim no moral ground.

But...the worst thing that can happen to a drink driver is NOT a DUI.
It's injuring loved ones or innocent strangers....injuring or worse....

Some of our members have had to deal with that.

I can't imagine how, myself.

D

Nowsthetime

1 in 2002, nobody hurt. Drove drunk again a few times again though... Will never drive drunk again!

EJ43

Yes Dee, you are so so right!

JustCrusade

It's either a coincidence that you posted this, or I just ran into the right topic for what I came across earlier today while browsing reddit. It's a must watch.

dont drink & drive www.seadaddy101.wordpress.com - YouTube

The truth is, every single time an alcoholic gets sober the chances of situations like this dramatically decrease. Not only do we need to get sober for ourselves, but also for the people we don't know we put in danger every time we get behind the wheel when drinking.

It truly puts things into perspective - how horrible this alcoholism ALONG with irresponsible drinking really is.

Bailey3

Never had a dui came close a few time though. I agree with Dee getting into an accident and hurting someone would be worse and, probably unforgivable. That being said I did almost cause a few accidents. Thank God I didn't.

iggy24

everyone who has drank a couple of years have a dui? no...i think most alcohol abusers never get 1. Ive known people with as much as 6 of them. i don't even know how that's possible..with dui there is a lot of luck involved. going out to a bar and driving home these days is like russian roulette..thy have undercover cops in bars these days that will call you in. regardless of what you think about it morally..it's not worth it to drink and drive ever these days..not even if you're a judge

PolarBlue

That's horrible. I don't think I could live with myself if I caused something like that.

I was coming home from somewhere one night and saw what looked like a shadow coming towards me in the wrong lane. Turns out it was someone driving with their headlights off, and there were no street lights. How they saw anything I don't know. At the last minute I swerved to the shoulder, and they swerved into the other lane, down a ditch, and smashed into a pole.

That collision would have likely been fatal. It looked like we were only inches away from each other on the drivers sides. Sometimes we should all count what blessings we have.

Soberwolf

Like D never drove drunk but have been a passenger

even tho no incidents.....i am ashamed for that and know how reckless that was and i will never do that again

PolarBlue

I've known quite a few drinkers over the years, and most of them are pretty open about their DUIs. Rarely apologetic about it though. Others claim they drive better after a couple and have never been caught.

I've seen cops in full uniform sitting in bars late at night. If that doesn't make you think twice...

PolarBlue

I was a passenger once and my "designated driver" had a couple beers. On the way to our destination she had to pee and pulled over on the side of the road. A car even passed as she did her business. It's the last time I rode with her.

Pipping

My biggest shame and embarrassment is that I drove drunk on several occasions. I became more reckless on the months before I quit and I would say that every time I drove I would have been impaired severely such as over the limit, hungover or plain exhausted. I am very lucky to have not hurt anyone and I believe if I kept drinking the way I was then something major would have happened

Trying2bhappy

I'm guilty and ashamed! I even fell asleep at the wheel a couple of times. The first time I had a friend in the car who just put her hand on the steering wheel to guide me (maybe she didn't want to startle me and cause a wreak or maybe she was just too drunk??). The other time I didn't know that I was asleep but I felt my car go up onto a side walk and it woke me up. Wow! I knew that I was stupid back then but writing it makes me realize how horrible that actually was to drive drunk! Thank God that I didn't hurt anyone...I could never imagine that guilt.

Taking5

I got one in '**. Should've/could've had dozens more. This would be a great poll to post actually.

I suspect the answers would be a lot different here in the states, where a DUI is a slap on the wrist, compared to Europe. Also most European towns predate automobiles and are easier to walk around in AND they have better public transportation. Combine all of that and I suspect the DUI numbers are much lower there.

edit - apostrophe ninety-nine. I do not know why the forum decides that numbers should be edited out.

Change4good

I am struggling with how to write this. . .

When I read posts here and elsewhere about drunk driving, I often have to get up from the computer, breath, and collect myself. I don't reply, as I am often mad, angry, and upset.

Drunk driving crashes (I won't call them accidents) literally destroy innocent families. It changes the landscapes of innocent people's lives forever when they lose someone due to another person's decision (cognizant or not) to get behind the wheel.

I search for compassion and forgiveness for the drunk driver, and struggle to get there. I know this won't be a popular post, and I in no way want to illicit guilt or anything else in that family of feelings for members here.

My thoughts are as clear as mud, surely. As I said, I am struggling with this.