5 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Impaired Driving

We have provided Designated Driver services to over one hundred thousand people in a short three years, and we couldn’t be more proud of that. What we have learned as we have built and expanded our business, is that while there is no shortage of advocacy and education around the dangers of impaired driving, thanks to organizations like MADD and OSAID,  most of us will not take action unless we, or someone we are close with, are impacted by it.

Every day, we read more victim impact stories, most recently that of Destiny Mantia, a 21 year old widow who lost her husband and baby in a crash in 2014. At a recent event we held, we heard from Sarah Gallagher, who lost her 28 year old aunt in a tragic crash.

I have been internalizing this challenge, and asking myself, what would a victim or survivor of impaired driving do differently if they knew they were going to be impacted by it? The only answer I can think of, is that they likely would have done more to prevent impaired driving in the first place, and that is exactly why we do what we do at Driverseat. Neither my partner, Brian, or I have been directly impacted by impaired driving, but we work feverishly to prevent it, to protect our families and friends.

Much like getting the flu shot, putting on a seatbelt, or wearing a bike helmet, we do these things to protect ourselves where there are dangers present, and inevitable. The cold hard truth is, that while we hear the statistics of the number of impaired drivers there are on the road every year, most don’t realize that the odds are, you drive amongst impaired drivers every day. Being a defensive driver, wearing a seatbelt, and keeping your vehicle in good working condition are all ways to protect yourself in the event of a crash, but the real question is, what can you do to prevent crashes from happening at all? Here are five really simple things you can do:

1. Have the courage to stop someone from driving impaired by talking to them, or taking their keys

2. Promote and encourage friends and family to use a Designated Driver (like Driverseat)

3. Volunteer with your local MADD chapter

4. Educate your children on the dangers of impaired driving

5. Do all of the above with conviction, and the desire to protect those you love