The Associated Press is reporting that a Minnesota Highway Patrol program aimed at curbing drunk driving resulted in nearly 2,400 DWI arrests in December, 2010.  That’s over 75 arrests every day.  75 people who were drunk enough to be pulled over and arrested on any given day in December when we had record snowfalls, and generally rotten driving conditions.  Folks, we gotta do better.

Like many people (obviously), I enjoy having a drink or two when I go out.  And in my misspent youth, an embarrassing number of times, I would come home from watching Monday Night Football at a local bar with my friends from work pretty well hammered.  Fortunately, the route home from this bar was a such a straight shot on a surface street that I never had an accident.  I drove the same route every day for many years, which gave me a false sense of security at that age.  I know now that it was incredibly foolish and dangerous, both for myself and others.   I also clearly remember the sense of surprise I felt when I got into my car and realized I was drunk, because I hadn’t really felt drunk when I was in the bar.  I knew I had a bit of a glow, but as I was sitting down and watching the TV, I felt good to go.

I recently lost three of the people most dear to me.  While they all died of natural causes, I can only imagine the pain inflicted when a loved one dies because someone senselessly drove under the influence of alcohol and how crushing it would be to have been the cause of such pain.  So, now that we’re past the season of excused inebriation, let’s all resolve to be more responsible when we go out and drink.  If a date or a friend tells you that you shouldn’t drive because you’ve had too much to drink, thank them and take their advice without resentment.  Be smart enough to know that they are in a better position to judge your condition than you are and that most people wouldn’t care enough to say anything that would be such a risk of an argument or the end a relationship.  And be brave enough to tell people you care about when you’re concerned about their ability to drive safely.

I don’t have a clue about what we can do to stop true alcoholics or people who abuse drugs.  But it seems to me that one thing we can do is to realize that as a society, we’ve overlooked casual drinkers for too long when it comes to the issue of drunk driving.  I don’t want to assign blame.  Making this an issue of morality or character just gets everyone angry.  I’d much rather everyone would think of taking positive steps toward being smarter and more caring.  I’m old enough to remember when Jack Paar was the host of “The Tonight Show” and half-mocking a well-known Public Service Announcement of the time,  joked that “the life you save may be mine”.   So I don’t care if you resolve never to drive when you’ve been drinking for purely selfish reasons.    I’m good with whatever it takes to get people to remember to be smart enough to be safe when they drive.  I always think of such things in terms of “I do enough stupid things.  I don’t need to do this one.” – especially when I have to end the sentence with “again”.