Dear Editor:

Every time we jump in our cars to go to work, attend classes, attend a sporting even or even

simply grab some groceries we assume a major risk that slides under our radar. A risk that being in a

car accident could occur. Motor vehicles are one of the leading causes of injuries and death within

our society. One of the biggest causative factors of these accidents are due to drunk drivers being on

the road.

According to the CDC, “more than 32,000 people are killed and 2 million are injured each

year from motor vehicle crashes . . . one in 3 crash deaths in the US involved drunk driving”. Drunk

drivers cause hundreds of thousands of accidents a year as well as over 10,000 accidental deaths.

You may be the worlds greatest driver, however that doesn’t protect you from the potential of

coming across a drunken driver in your journeys to the store or a YSU football game. In these

situations your life can be in the hands of another that is impaired and unable to control their own

vehicle. Not just you, but your friends, family, children, classmates and siblings are at risk every time

that they step inside a vehicle.

If you don’t believe in this risk take a drive down I-80 or I-76, there are signs that display the

“days since the last fatal accident”. It is a very rare occurrence to see the numbers on this signs get

very far into the double digits. Findings from the CDC found that up to 5.5% of deaths in the state of

Ohio are due to drunk driving accidents. This is higher than that of the national average of 5.2%.

Furthering the study, in Ohio 2.2% of drivers of the drinking age reported to have driven after

drinking to much alcohol.

Our society, especially our state needs to spread greater awareness of the facts and statics that

drunk driving is causing thousands of deaths each year, a cause of death that is 100% preventable if

everyone were to be responsible for themselves and those they share the road with. One way we can

do so is simply present the facts when you receive or renew your drivers license. Have a poster in the

BMV with the facts to look at while standing in the seemingly never ending BMV lines.