Chloe's+Page+=)

= media type="file" key="Designated Driversvoice.mp3"﻿ = = = = I Believe in Designated Drivers =

The author is Chloe Wheeler and is a psychology major at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

 At  one point in time, everyone has received a phone call that stopped their hearts, caused sweaty palms, and changed their life forever. My phone call was when I found out a friend that I’ve known since kindergarten was in an alcohol-related motorcycle accident. Hi s name is Victor and he’s always been reckless and unpredictable, but drunk driving may be the last decision he’ll ever make.

 On September 4, 2010 Victor Troubatchov was out at the bar and drinking heavily. Refusing to get a ride home, Victor jumped on his motorcycle onto the 595-West in Miami, Florida and zoomed off. Victor began to nod off. He hit a patch of water and lost control of his motorcycle and crashed. Now, over two weeks and some odd days later, Victor is still in the hospital in a coma on life support with family and friends, including myself, praying for him to wake up. Had Victor been responsible, he would have designated a driver, but instead he’s facing either death or time in jail for a DUI. I pray for Victor every day, because the choice to live and face jail time is far better than losing his life to his stubbornness and poor decision-making.

 Sometimes it’s not always about designating a sober driver, but also being cautious of drunk drivers around you. On August 19, 2006, Summer-Lynn Kawehionalani Teuila Mau was driving down Kamehameha Highway, on North Shore Oahu. Summer was with her friends, on the way to a car accident where her friends crashed because they did not designate a sober driver. Consequently, all the passengers, including the driver, lost their lives. Kamehameha highway is two-lanes and runs alongside the island, water on one side, trees on the other. When Summer arrived, her friends were mourning the loss of their friend on the side of the road when another? tragedy struck. A drunk driver swerved and hit Summer and another boy while they were standing on the side of the street.

 There are two major alternatives to drunk driving which keep you alive and help create a safer driving environment: calling a taxi, and designating a sober driver. Drinking and driving, in my opinion, is far more chaotic than getting a group of friends together and paying for a taxi home; which is usually my first choice. At 20 years old, I have chosen to never drink and drive, and when I am out at night, I make it a point to be cautious of the drivers around me. I feel as though most people in the 18-22 year old age group believe they are invincible, but in reality, we are mere mortals, and cannot surmount the dangers of drunk driving.