Your life could be over in an instant. Yes I am speaking to you! Why you may ask?  It is because of impaired drivers found on our roads. There are about a million people a year in the United States that are arrested for driving while impaired.  Imagine how many more people driving that are not arrested?  Impaired driving is affecting all walks of life, from children to grandparents. It affects all races and nationalities. This is found all over the world. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs hurts all.  So why do people do this?

There are so many tools these days to not drink and drive.  We have Uber, Lyft and taxis. You can press a button on the phone and the problem is solved. There are even self-driving cars that have been invented.  Additionally there have been invented a myriad of devices that detect alcohol on the breath of a driver that are readily available for the public.  So why do drivers still drive while impaired?   

It is illegal everywhere in the United States to drive under the influence.  Yet in every state this is a daily occurrence.  If you are given a license to drive, then you have been given the license to be responsible.   You are not given the license to take someone's life.  There are choices in life, so act accordingly. 

It is more important to think before you act, and therefore to think before you drive. Being responsible is not only for the driver, but for everyone around the driver. Why should an innocent individual lose her/her life for the sake of alcohol or drugs?   

The consequences should be the greatest for someone who takes the life of another while being under the influence. The driver's license should come with the highest responsibility and honor to be on the roads of the United States and to respect the law. Life is too important to not take it for granted.   

If one imagines that every human life is to be honored, then it is the greatest dishonor to hurt a human life. The consequences for driving impaired should be severe and life-altering. If someone is found to be driving while impaired, they should face a minimum of ten years suspension of their license. Let the person commute to work via public transportation. If a person is found guilty of impaired driving, may they be fined at least $10,000 for this offense. If a person is found guilty of impaired driving, may they pay the highest fee of car insurance for the rest of their life.   

Driving a vehicle is a privilege. It should be treated with honor and distinction. Therefore, there should be an abundance of penalties for those individuals that choose to dishonor the rules and drive while impaired.  In 2025 there is simply no excuse for this behavior.

I challenge the lawmakers in the United States to create the most severe punishments for those that choose to dishonor the rules. At the same time, I challenge the lawmakers to work alongside the insurance companies to celebrate the drivers that have clean driving records. Awards, bonuses and gift cards should be shared by those who choose to drive in the safest manner. There should also be a way to provide a "free Uber drive" for those who see that someone needs a ride. A "Drive Free or Else" service should be like the Monopoly game once you pass go.  Even fast food restaurants provide free products from time to time. Providing a free Uber ride for all to have at a moment's notice should be part of the package of a driver's license.

My heart goes out for the victims of impaired driving. Countless people have lost loved ones because of impaired driving. This affects generations of the family members. What is most devastating is that there are unnecessary deaths or disabilities from the accidents. All of it was because of poor choices. Something must be done to end this necessary misjudgment.  Even the Puritans in the Boston Common held consequences for those who did not follow the rules of the land. Why are the driving rules in 2025 so easily broken and not being followed?  

It is time to do what is right. Create laws to protect safe drivers. Celebrate safe driving. Severely punish those who choose to dishonor the law and drive while being impaired.  There needs to be more aggressive punishments in order to get more individuals on board to follow the rules of the land.