It is Labor Day weekend already and almost everyone has made plans for the last full weekend before we have to say goodbye to summer. It is a weekend when friends and family get together to celebrate. As a part of these celebrations, it is common to pull out the blender, crack open a cold one or pour something on the rocks.
Alcohol is a perfectly acceptable party addition, but the effects that it can have come with a warning — especially where motor vehicles are concerned. Thus far this year there have been approximately 4,000 DWI arrests made by San Antonio Police Department officers, and they are planning for more over this Labor Day weekend.
Drunk driving is illegal for a reason. To illustrate the reason why, we’ll throw a couple more statistics into the discussion. There were a lot of arrests this year, but there were also 1,400 accidents in which alcohol was involved. There were also 40 people killed by a drunk driver this year already.
The last couple of statistics mentioned is precisely the reason why the SAPD is adding more patrols to the roads this weekend, and why those officers will have a zero tolerance attitude towards drunk driving.
While statistics can show when a widespread problem exists, those who suffer the loss of a loved one at the hands of a drunk driver don’t see the victim as a part of a larger statistic. The pain of losing a father’s guidance or a mother’s love is very real. The loss of a primary income is very real. Funeral costs are very real. These are all losses that are preventable by choosing to call a cab, sleep on a couch or ride home with a friend.
Source: KENS-5, “SAPD to crack down on drunk drivers during Labor Day weekend,” Stacia Willson, Aug. 21, 2013