Whenever someone consumes alcohol or takes impairing drugs, legal, prescribed, or otherwise, and they are away from where they intend to spend the night, they have created a gauntlet. A gauntlet of police or troopers, who are being paid to spot impairment. A gauntlet of risk to themselves, to their future freedom, their jobs, the well being of their family, but most importantly, to others who most likely had nothing to do with their current situation. It’s not important to an officer or a judge that they became impaired, but it’s critical to both if they get behind the wheel and start driving. That’s when it becomes a public risk. Many drivers don’t realize they are impaired until they start operating a 2 ton vehicle and may then pull over and call someone. That’s a good thing except that it increases the likelihood that law enforcement will come along while they’re waiting to be rescued. If they get out of the vehicle, particularly the driver’s seat and put the keys where they are not convenient, they’ve got a fighting chance to beat the charges. But, the worst decision begins when they decide to start driving in the first place. Plan ahead. Far ahead.
