Do not get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol!

Each of us knows perfectly well that drinking alcohol and driving a vehicle do not go hand in hand and can list the effects of this reprehensible behavior in one breath, but still, at every occasion, it is necessary to remind loudly how dangerous it is to sit behind the wheel after consuming even a small amount of quality drinks. The statistics in this matter are inexorable, and the media, after every State Holiday, long weekend and well-known name-day, have reported another thousand drunk drivers. 

It is appalling that we are so dismissive about sobriety behind the wheel. There is still approval for such practices in many circles and you must have witnessed your own friend, uncle, grandfather getting behind the wheel after an alcohol-drenched name day. Why has no one reacted? Why didn’t Uncle take a taxi or take a walk? It’s only a few hundred meters! Well, these “only a few hundred meters” are the distance at which literally anything can happen. A child will run out on the road chasing his pet, which should be on a leash, or the neighbor’s daughter will not notice the approaching car and will ride on a scooter right under the wheels …

You will probably ask: “What could I do to prevent my uncle from getting behind the wheel of the car?” The answer is simple: “Avoid a situation where he might have the opportunity to do so.” It sounds simple indeed, but the reality can be brutal, so you also have to act brutally and firmly. The first step is to collect and secure the keys. Nothing will happen if the guests depart from you by taxi and return for the car the next day, and it is best if the guests reach you using a means of transport other than their own car, then you avoid unnecessary stress and part with guests in full agreement.

We also recommend developing a new secular tradition, thanks to which your guests’ keys will land in a special box before the event begins, so that the entire takeover procedure takes place in full awareness of the taken over, even before entering the “weightless state”.

Fortunately, from year to year and from holidays to holidays, the number of accidents involving drunk drivers and those detained for inspection is decreasing. Last Christmas weekend there were 110 accidents in which 4 people were killed and 140 were injured. At that time, 511 drunk drivers were also detained. We hope it’s a general trend and not a short Christmas effect. Please be reasonable on New Years Eve and New Years. Let’s show that we are a reasonable society and we do not have to mindlessly endanger ourselves, our relatives and other road users.