Summertime marks the season of camaraderie and leisure. This we all know. Something else we all know is that driving drunk is bad, not to mention illegal. And yet we let ourselves take the wheel knowing that we are in an altered state of mind and body. This begs the question “why!?” I do not mean to repeat facts you have already heard countless times but do not abide to. But it will probably come off that way. Bear with me.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the duration of the summer season is indeed the deadliest time of the year with more drivers traveling to family member's homes for the holidays. Fourth of July weekend is what is known as the most tragic regarding lives lost during this period. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each day in 2014, 28 lives were lost due negligent, alcohol-consuming individuals behind the wheel. This means that approximately every 53 minutes, another person has died from this inexcusable act known as drunk driving.

Drivers should adhere to the speed limit and road signs, always exercising caution. Taking the wheel while buzzed should never be acted upon. Vehicular manslaughter can ruin a life in a heartbeat. And the victim is not the only one affected. The driver can die but also the family is left to grieve for much too long.

Let me point you to a recent tragedy in my own community that demonstrates the atrocity that driving while intoxicated brings. A mother, Zaalika Rasool, and her 9 year old daughter, Sara, were ejected from the backseat of their 2010 Toyota Corolla when 58 year old Jairam Budhu in his 2002 BMW X5 launched directly into the right side of their vehicle. The mother was pronounced deceased at the very scene and the promising young girl who was injured is now damaged in more ways than one. She will have to heal from her physical injuries but may never get over that she only had a 9 year relationship with her adored mother. In fact, this is why the family chooses to not yet disclose to young Sara Rasool that her mother has passed. They were “very attached” as a mother and daughter duo states a close relative.

Needless to say Budhu was drunk beyond the limit but he was also speeding over the limit. As an add-on to this mess, he was operating the vehicle with a suspended license. This family was wrecked by a drunk driver in an instant. In many scenarios, there is a mixture of deadly behavior that contributes to these incidents. Once you have a driver driving while intoxicated, factors such as speeding, distraction from a cellphone, or driving with a suspended license fall not far behind. Agony and loss can be felt by both parties, as now Budhu, who was found consuming alcohol just prior to police arriving to cuff him, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, unlicensed operation of a vehicle, assault, manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide.

Hearing stories like these manage to hit your core and make you understand a need for better discourse. Clearly you can see it does not matter who you are nor what you drive, danger is always lurking in the corner.

We allow our good days to fog the reality that at any given time, it could all be snatched. As with anything, prevention is the key. Think before you act. Driving is a privilege not a right. Senseless acts like these come at a price. That price is paid by the victim and the multitude of their loved ones for years to come. Driving while under the influence or fully intoxicated is not a joke. It is an epidemic but one we can handle.