BUSINESS & LIFE: Drinking and Driving 

As I give thanks for one of my nephews and his wife who by the Grace and Mercy of God escaped major injury and death from an accident in the early hours of Sunday morning and witnessed a vehicle loaded with young men, with one hanging out of the passenger’s front window and two seating on the bonnet in peals of laughter, I decided that the article for this week has to be on drinking and driving and for a call for greater accountability and responsibility.  When I saw this vehicle and the men appearing to be having a ball of a time, I prayed for their safety for I imagined what the worst could be.

In the US, 10, 322 persons died and 290,000 were injured in drunk driving crashes in 2012 and it is reported that every two minutes a person gets injured in a drunk driving crash and 28 people die daily as a result of a drunk driving crash (The National Highway Traffic Administration).  These figures are startling yet according to the National Highway Traffic Administration drunk-driving deaths have been halved since the formation of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in 1980.   In Dominica, I am not certain whether we report cause of death by accident, however, many times we have major accidents, the concern from the comments, appear to be more one of speed than drunk-driving.  I wager a beat that drunk driving however often has a big role to play.  It is the drunk driving that often causes reckless behaviour, such as evidenced by the men seating on a bonnet of a moving vehicle.

When I was called about the accident in the wee hours of Sunday morning, one of my first comments was “drinking and driving!”   When I went to visit my nephew at the hospital, while he lay in obvious pain and his wife sat at his bedside so serenely for one who was also involved in the accident, my first thoughts and words to them were that God was certainly with them and he had deployed a set of angels to protect them.  This feeling of gratitude to God was compounded when I heard they had no helmets.   My next words were words of admonishment about the dangers of drinking and driving and riding without a helmet.  These were words I have uttered before, however, he would often retort that he knew and he was okay.  He often told me he always rode with his helmet and the few times I saw him prior, he always had one, so it came to me as a shock to find out they had not worn helmets.

Every time, I see riders without a helmet, I can’t help but think of the worst that can happen and would often tell them, whether I know them or not, to please go and put on their helmets.  And if the opportunity presents itself, I would remind them of the accidents before and the probability for serious injury without the helmet.  I am quite aware that people have died or suffered serious injury with a helmet on, however the evidence is clear that without a helmet the probability of serious or grave injury is greater.  There is however a sense of invincibility until they are involved in an accident.  They often believe it cannot happen to them.  He was in shock and kept uttering that he had never been in an accident before and he did not understand it.  However, as we know an accident can happen at anytime, for many reasons.

This leads me to a call for seatbelt driving.   Out of Dominica, as soon as I enter a vehicle, whether as a driver or passenger, whether the laws on seatbelt driving are enforced or not, I put on my seatbelt.  At home, I am not so conscientious.  I have often spoken about this and wondered why.  Part of the answer is a complacency and sense that I know the road, but this too, is a wakeup call for me, that a seatbelt is to be worn in and out of Dominica, at all times.

There is, in my view, a growing incident of drinking among people, especially the young, including the young ladies.   On a weekend, especially a Friday evening, a visit to any of the bars and nightspots will provide some confirmation.  In the US, the statistics reveal that the rate of drunk driving is highest among the 21-25 age group at 23.4%.   I often tell my nieces and nephews that they should not drink, and I refuse to serve anyone below 18 with any alcoholic drink, including a shandy.  They, and sometimes the parents think I am overreacting, arguing that a shandy has little alcohol.  I have, however added a message of responsible drinking.  I tell them that they should not drink more than they can handle; that they should not drink to impress others; that they should not drink to get drunk.  They should not drink and drive and certainly should never drive drunk.

The debate moves beyond driving for in the US in the last year, there have been incidents of rapes, where the young ladies were totally unaware of the act until someone else videotaped it and placed it on social media.   I am sure that, though nor reported, that there are cases involving young men being raped.  The frenzy that has followed has been on the rapes and the actions of the men, who in most, if not all of the cases were convicted of rape and placed on the “sexual offenders list,” for life.  I support this action, however, I believe that valuable teaching moments have been missed in these cases, to teach young people responsibility for their actions – Is it okay for people to get so drunk that they are totally unaware of what happens to them?  Why should one be influenced by another to commit an act that one knows is wrong? What is the responsibility of others to intervene to stop abuse of another?  To what extent must people be held accountable for their actions? What are the lessons to be learnt and applied?

I recently heard about an incident that happened in Dominica where a young lady was so drunk she asked a young man to “have sex”, however the young man did not comply for he recognised she was drunk.   Here again is another incident of irresponsible drinking but importantly a case of a young man taking responsibility for his actions, who did not take advantage of a young lady’s vulnerability, and instead relied on the values and principles he was taught.  A case of a young man who did well.  These good acts do not often make the news, however they, too need to make the news so that the message for young people is to take responsibility, to do the right thing and influence positive peer pressure.

This week, let us take responsibility for our lives and that of others; let us hold others and ourselves to account:  Let us not drink to be drunk; let us not drive drunk, let us ride with helmets, let us drive with seatbelts.  Let us think of the impact of our actions on our loved ones and others who may innocently be injured or die by our actions.  Let us think of the impact of our actions on ourselves.

I take this opportunity to advertise our upcoming Family Symposium, under the theme, “Our Family, Our Home, Our Brand,” carded for August 31, 2014 from 2:30 – 6:30pm at the Fort Young Hotel.  It is a free event.  Bring the entire family and let us discuss issues affecting our family aimed at strengthening our family ties and consequently our societal ties.  Call VF Inc at 767 449 9649 to register.

I can be contacted at [email protected] or Tel: 767 449 9649.

Until we meet again, may the Lord continue to Keep us in the Palm of His Hands.