Drunk Driving: A Dangerous and Negligent Decision

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Peter R.O. Danielson
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  The average drunk driver has driven drunk an average of 87 times before they are arrested for the first time, according to a Zador study.

Thirty-six different Offutt personnel were arrested during 2011 for driving under the influence, said Lt. Col. Kevin Huyser, 55th Wing staff judge advocate. More than half of these were junior enlisted members but these lapses in judgment came from the officer and enlisted non-commissioned officers of the Air Force, Army and Navy units stationed on base.

Using the national average of uncaught drunk drivers, there is likely to be a larger number of Team Offutt members driving drunk.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,839 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2009, accounting for nearly one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. Drugs other than alcohol are involved in about 18 percent of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are often used in combination with alcohol.

For those who decide to drive home after one-too-many drinks, nearly 75 percent of fatal crashes occur between midnight and 3 a.m. involve alcohol.

Driving home drunk "just this once" shouldn't be viewed as an option. Offutt's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment counselors can lend a helpful ear to those who need assistance with alcohol or drug use.

"I've never seen anyone self-identify into ADAPT and have any sort of punishment," said Staff Sgt. Shawn Kenyon, the NCO in charge of the Offutt ADAPT program. "I'd much rather see someone come in by themselves than be assigned by a commander."

Of the 34 individuals who have come to ADAPT for alcohol treatment programs, only one has self identified. Those directed to come by a commander or doctor can expect an eight-week program, but self-identifiers are given a chance to set their own follow-ups and length of treatment.

Most Americans make responsible decisions regarding alcohol use. A National Institutes of Health nationwide survey of 43,000 adults, ages 18 and older, reported in 2010:

Seven in 10 U.S. adults always drink at low-risk levels or do not drink at all: 

  • Thirty seven percent of adults always drink at low-risk levels and 35 percent don't drink at all. 
  • For men, low-risk drinking is no more than four drinks on any day and no more than 14 drinks per week.
  • For women, low-risk drinking is no more than three drinks on any day and no more than seven drinks per week.
  • A standard drink contains about 0.6 fluid ounces or 14 grams of pure alcohol. (e.g., 12 oz of regular beer; 8 oz of malt liquor; 5 oz of table wine; 1.5 oz shot of 80-proof spirits).
Twenty-eight percent of adults drink at heavy or at-risk levels:
 
  • Nineteen percent of adults are at increased-risk for developing alcohol-related problems because they drink more than either the single-day limit or the weekly limit.
  • Nine percent of adults are at highest-risk because they drink more than both the single-day limits and the weekly limits.
To ensure you don't become a statistic, always follow these rules of safe drinking:
  • Always have a safe plan to get home before leaving, and never deviate from that plan.
  • Decide on a responsible designated driver and ensure that person stays sober and reachable.
  • If impaired, call a sober friend, family member, taxi or use public transportation to get home safely.
  • Use your community's sober rides programs, such as Airmen Against Drunk Driving or the Chief's Happy Cab.
  • When you see impaired drivers on the road, contact local law enforcement. 
  • If you feel yourself unable to cope with your drug or alcohol use, call ADAPT at 232-2273, option 1-3-1.
  • If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired or ride with an impaired driver, offer them a place to stay or help them make other arrangements home.