Too many tragedies

Don't drink and drive. \nPlease. \nI met a mother this summer who lost her 18-year-old son Adam in a drunk driving accident. He wasn't drinking. The man who hit him was, but that man survived.\nAdam had high hopes for this fall. He planned to attend University of Michigan with his long-time girlfriend ' whom he planned to marry one day. \nHe was a good kid who stayed out of trouble; he was never in a car accident, nor did he ever receive a traffic ticket. But nothing could have prepared him for the speeding car that crossed the median and hit him head-on, killing him instantly.\n"At least he died right away ... instead of suffering," said his mother, tears swelling in her eyes. If nothing else, I remembered that quote from our conversation. It has haunted me ever since.\nImagine losing your life at 18. Imagine losing your life at any age before you've had the chance to experience a fulfilling life. Then imagine losing your life at the hands of someone who decided they could drive after having a few drinks. That's not fair. \nDrunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime, yet it is most often not a felony for the first offense.\nIndiana had 978 total traffic deaths in 1999 and 379 (38.7 percent) of them were alcohol-related. A driver with a Blood-Alcohol Content of .15 is more than 300 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash. One in three of us will be involved in an alcohol-related accident in our lifetime. In the United States today, there are two alcohol-related traffic deaths per hour, 45 per day and 315 per week, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving ... that is the equivalent of two jetliners crashing week after week, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Don't drink and drive. Please.\nWith every DUI death comes a web of suffering. It starts with the victims' families, spreads to their friends, the people who knew them, the people who loved them. Then it crosses to the other side ' to the people who drive drunk. Their family suffers, and their friends suffer. It is a lose-lose situation with tragic results. Not convinced? Ask how the families of the 6,886 victims between the ages of 18-24 feel.\nIndiana recognizes the first offense for operating a vehicle while intoxicated as a Class A misdemeanor. You'll receive a one-year suspension of your license, plus a two-year penalty for refusing to take the breathalizer. A $1,000 fine will follow. In most cases, your costs will exceed $10,000 ' not only for attorney fees, but also court costs.\nThe second and subsequent offenses within five years are classified as a Class D Felony. You'll likely serve jail-time.\nAn American Auto Association study showed that nearly one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of drunk driving each year are repeat offenders, and as many as 75 percent of those who lose their licenses because of driving drunk continue to drive on suspended licenses. \nThe American Medical Association says that .03 is too drunk to be driving. \nNext time you plan to go out drinking, plan ahead. Have a designated driver. Call a cab. Walk home. But don't drive. Please. \nAdam already lost his life. And I promised his mother I would spread the word. Because you're not just taking your own life in your hands. You're taking mine, too.