A toast to all the designated drivers

by Mat Camp, Alestle Copy Editor

It is impossible to emphasize enough the importance of always having a designated driver when you decide to leave the comfort of your home to hit the town for a night of drinking shenanigans. The possible consequences of hurting yourself, your property, other people, other people’s property and the ever looming DUI should be enough to keep everyone from driving drunk but alas, every weekend people get caught. Just read the police blotter.

It is not difficult to get over that .08 BAC limit, and even if you do not feel impaired, it does not mean you aren’t impaired. Depending on body-fat, age, weight, gender, genetics, number of drinks over how long, if you’ve eaten, and I’m sure many more factors, it can take as little as two or three drinks for you to be “legally” intoxicated. Even if you aren’t doing anything erratic when driving, if you get pulled over for California stopping at an intersection and the officer thinks he smells alcohol, they can submit you to a sobriety test. If you blow .08 or over, there is a good chance you will be arrested. Interestingly enough, some states can give you a DUI for below .08 if they believe you incapable of driving, so keep that in mind.

Illinois has some pretty strict DUI laws. Granted with a good attorney and the right circumstances surrounding your case, it is possible to get much less than what the law says, but it will still end up costing you time and thousands of your hard earned dollars, which could have been better spent buying more beer.

Overall, it is much better to not go out drinking if you don’t have a sober driver. Period. Staying home and drinking by yourself would honestly be much better than driving drunk.

I personally go to the bars on Thursday’s all the time, and if I drive there, I will call my brother for a ride home and leave my car there until the next day. Luckily most of the time we have a friend who doesn’t mind DD-ing for us, which saves a lot of hassle. Even if you can’t get a hold of anyone, do anything but drive. Walk, call a cab or even call your parents.  Whatever the consequences or costs are, they will be much less severe in the long run than a DUI.

So to my brother, my friend and all you other designated drivers out there, I salute you. Everyone should make sure the next time you drink to the point where you don’t remember the night, at least remember to thank the person who got you home safe and DUI free.