10 Reasons to never drive under the influence of anything

No matter what, never drink and drive. Getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle while inebriated is a terrible idea. If you’re not in full control, you’re really rolling the dice on everything. 

That being said, here are 10 reasons to help convince you that drinking and driving is never worth it. 

Driving under the influence is illegal. None of us want to ever visit a jailhouse or police station for a mistake that could have been avoided. 

RA 10586, signed in 2013, penalizes persons driving under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs, and other similar substances. The law will condemn persons driving under the influence of drugged or drunk drivers. 

If you’ve been investigated for drunk driving, and proven that you were behind the wheel of a vehicle, your insurance premium will definitely go up due to the liabilities that your case will afford you. 

On top of that, if you get into an accident, then the chances are, your insurance provider may not cover the damages incurred or may limit the coverage of your case. Depending on the policy, the insurance provider may even cancel your policy altogether, and having a case may also affect your ability to get a new policy in the future. 

Even when sober, driving can get dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at a blood alcohol content (BAC) reading of 0.8, you are three times more likely to get into an accident while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. Even at the legally allowable limit in the United States, at 0.5 BAC, you’re still twice as likely. At the highest levels of BAC, you’re seeing up to a 2,000 percent increase in the likelihood of an accident. 

Just don’t risk it. Everyone deserves to go home, and get home, but not risk their lives in the process. On top of that, there are others too that might get affected by your risk tolerance and poor tolerance for alcohol. 

Don’t think for a second that the road is yours and yours alone. It is for everyone, and by risking your safety, you also risk the safety of others. You could collide with something on the way back home, or worse, with someone. 

Involving a third party is a messy business. Not only will you definitely be liable for that person’s damages, but you will also be charged with driving under the influence because you’re definitely stopping following the accident, right? 

If you’re drunk driving and happen to hit something hard enough to total your car, there is no coming back from that. Taking in alcohol makes one more outgoing with their actions, hence drunk drivers typically drive more aggressively and recklessly given the right amount of alcohol in their veins. 

Low-speed parking lot fender-benders are quite common, but that type of accident shouldn’t total your car. It’s the high-speed ones that will leave you stranded and scrambling to call a tow truck to get your baby out of a pickle. 

We’re thankful that many manufacturers are putting in the work to make cars safer. With more power and torque come greater risk if you’re drunk and without a sense of self-preservation. 

Given enough speed and a hard enough object to crash into, however, safety structures can fail, and you may be on the receiving end of some pretty nasty injuries. Not all cars are as safe as others, and bad things happen to test dummies even at 60 km/h as per NCAP testing procedures. Just imagine the damage that can take place in a crash at 100 km/h or more. 

Just imagine, you’ve dropped a ton of money to buy a car, and now you’re going to be paying out of pocket for medical expenses. Not only that, but you might also miss a few days of work as you’re recovering. In total, you will be losing money to get better while you’re getting better. 

God forbid you to hit someone, and now the insurance company will take care of the person you’ve hit. As long as you’ve got third-party liability in your insurance policy, you should be good to go, but as for your personal healing, that might be hard if you don’t have the necessary coverage. 

It’s not an excuse anymore to drive home drunk if you have technology at your fingertips. If you’ve parked in a secure location, it will be much safer to just leave your vehicle at the parking area and to call a cab or any ride-sharing service to get home. The extra cost will surely outweigh the financial and moral consequences of getting into an accident along the way. 

If not, then call a friend. We’re sure you have a few sober friends that can help you get home or at least drive your car back to your house. Don’t risk it, get someone capable to get you home. 

Especially in the case of professional license holders, getting caught and charged with a drunk driving case can spell the end to your career. Several companies are strict with this rule, and the LTO is too, leading to possible revocation of your license and your ability to earn a living while driving a motor vehicle. 

Even with non-professional license holders does a drunk driving case hold merit. In some cases, a company may have a clause in its bylaws that does not encourage drunk driving in any way shape, or form. While some may tolerate and lead off with a stern warning, others may not be so lenient, as is the case with several of us in the AutoDeal team. 

You have one life. Treasure it dearly.