It’s Saturday night, and Julia had decided to treat her little sister to dinner and a movie. Exhausted after a night full of laughter and exuberance, the three girls pile into Julia’s brand-new Volkswagen (which she had just been given for her seventeenth birthday), ready to begin the trek home. Julia, an ever so cautious driver, questions the girls to make sure that they have their seatbelt fastened, while she slowly makes her way to a complete stop at the red light ahead. It’s a quiet autumn evening, without a car in sight. The glistening stars mimic street lamps, for they illuminate the dark and vacant road the girls travel on. The light transitions from red to green; Julia releases her foot from the brake pedal and proceeds forward, as the intimidating sound of a screeching vehicle fills the girl’s ears.
It’s finally Saturday night, aka your best friend’s 18th birthday. Not only is it Izzie’s birthday, it’s also the first TCU home game, a day that you all have been waiting for the entire summer. Izzie invited you and your friend group to party at her house, and then walk to the football stadium from there. It’s a 15 minute walk from her house to the game. You have just arrived to her house; you walk inside, and the thick aroma of beer greets you at the front door. Five minutes after your arrival, everyone is anxious to head out to the game. You didn’t drink, so you drive everyone to the game, and park at your friend’s fraternity tailgate. As the night proceeds, your desire to have a few drinks increases. You give in. The game comes to an end, and you and your friends pile into the back of your car. You’re a bit dizzy and you’re acting goofy, but it’s fine, right? You keep telling yourself that it’s only a short drive, and your friends assure you that everything is ok. Pulling out of the stadium and onto the road, you’re all laughing and rapping the lyrics to your favorite songs. The girls in the backseat begin to complain that you’re driving too slow; curfew is in 5 minutes and you’re running late. You speed up. The music is blaring. You’re laughing. You’re speeding. Distracted, you look behind at your friends as you accidentally blast your way through a red stoplight.
It all happens like one of those old slow motion films; but this is real life. Julia’s sister screeches at the top of her lungs at the sight of two headlights coming straight for her, as you try to slam on the breaks. You smash your vehicle into the side of Julia’s car. All of the sudden, a piercing noise fills your ears and you’re in a daze. Looking behind the seat, you see your friends lying perfecting still, almost peacefully. You look out the window, only to see that you flipped a vehicle over, and it’s practically crushed.
Every two minutes, someone is injured due to a drunk driving related incident; everyday, there are more than 27 deaths in America due to the same reason. Ethan Couch, an 18 year old from Tarrant County, killed four teenagers while driving under the influence. Not only was he charged with four accounts of manslaughter, but now he must live with the guilt of murdering innocent adolescents. Drunk driving, including buzzed driving, is a prominent issue among suburban teenagers and should not be taken lightly. Even having one or two drinks can impair your ability to properly operate a motor vehicle. You may think that it won’t happen to you, but two out of three Americans will be involved in a drunk driving accident. Don’t be the cause.