So how bad is “Drunk Driving” in Marshall County? We all know drunk driving is a serious concern all over the United States and I think most people around here know of someone or some family that has dealt with this particular issue. You can find drunk driving reports on most local nightly newscast and the newspaper can’t be read without seeing a DUI related story. But how bad has “Drunk Driving” become in Marshall County? Well if you’ve been watching those same local newscasts; you know where I’m headed with this.
Your typical alcohol related motor vehicle incident usually involves the intoxicated driver either falling asleep behind the wheel, crashing into parked cars or in the scariest of situations, hitting a pedestrian or another vehicle carrying passengers. Marshall County’s problem goes beyond that. Our unlawful drivers have gone from hitting cars and people…to crashing into homes. And we’re not talking about an accident where a few pieces of siding fall off the house. We’re talking about a vehicle coming to rest in between a love seat and recliner. Imagine if you are a person who stays home on Friday and Saturday nights to avoid the whole drinking scene or you are a parent who tries to keep your family home during the evening hours for fear of what other drivers are capable of. All of the fear and trepidation that you have felt becomes a sudden reality as a careless drunk driver crashes into your home.
Now if this were a type of accident that occurred once every 76 years like Halley’s Comet, I would probably file it in the “ridiculous incident involving drunk driving” drawer. The fact is that within a 3 day span, Marshall County had 2 homes driven into by drunk drivers. These incidents are indicative of how serious drinking and driving is within our county and the high frequency in which people are operating vehicles with alcohol in their systems. If you are still undecided on whether or not you consider drunk driving to be a major concern for our area, here are a few statistical categories Marshall County ranks at the top of in our state: Youth DUI arrest rate, adult arrest rate, percent of motor vehicle crashes that are alcohol related and percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes that are alcohol related.
To aid in raising awareness for this growing concern in our community, next week valley residents will begin noticing billboards that address this issue of drunk driving. While the matter of why people continue to drink and drive remains uncertain, the message displayed on the billboards is quite clear: “All that separates you and a drunk driver is a thin, yellow line.” The statement is intended to remind all of us of the disturbing reality we find ourselves facing when traveling on the same roads as those who choose to drink and drive. The message has become even more important in recent weeks for Marshall County because of the concerns that extend from the roads, and into our homes.
If you share the same concerns that many of your neighbors and fellow community members have, now is the time to voice your opinion and help generate awareness of this issue. Help others realize the effects drunk drivers have on our society. Remind your family and friends of the dangers drunk driving presents for all of us. These individuals remove our sense of confidence in that we can safely protect our families. They become that unknown variable on the road that we are all concerned about and all too often, their actions determine the futures of so many. For information on how you can get involved, contact the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition @ 304-845-3300 or log on to: marshallcountyantidrugcoalition.blogspot.com. You can be the difference this community needs. Stand up and make the statement that “all that separates us from a drunk driver is….You!”
Your typical alcohol related motor vehicle incident usually involves the intoxicated driver either falling asleep behind the wheel, crashing into parked cars or in the scariest of situations, hitting a pedestrian or another vehicle carrying passengers. Marshall County’s problem goes beyond that. Our unlawful drivers have gone from hitting cars and people…to crashing into homes. And we’re not talking about an accident where a few pieces of siding fall off the house. We’re talking about a vehicle coming to rest in between a love seat and recliner. Imagine if you are a person who stays home on Friday and Saturday nights to avoid the whole drinking scene or you are a parent who tries to keep your family home during the evening hours for fear of what other drivers are capable of. All of the fear and trepidation that you have felt becomes a sudden reality as a careless drunk driver crashes into your home.
Now if this were a type of accident that occurred once every 76 years like Halley’s Comet, I would probably file it in the “ridiculous incident involving drunk driving” drawer. The fact is that within a 3 day span, Marshall County had 2 homes driven into by drunk drivers. These incidents are indicative of how serious drinking and driving is within our county and the high frequency in which people are operating vehicles with alcohol in their systems. If you are still undecided on whether or not you consider drunk driving to be a major concern for our area, here are a few statistical categories Marshall County ranks at the top of in our state: Youth DUI arrest rate, adult arrest rate, percent of motor vehicle crashes that are alcohol related and percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes that are alcohol related.
To aid in raising awareness for this growing concern in our community, next week valley residents will begin noticing billboards that address this issue of drunk driving. While the matter of why people continue to drink and drive remains uncertain, the message displayed on the billboards is quite clear: “All that separates you and a drunk driver is a thin, yellow line.” The statement is intended to remind all of us of the disturbing reality we find ourselves facing when traveling on the same roads as those who choose to drink and drive. The message has become even more important in recent weeks for Marshall County because of the concerns that extend from the roads, and into our homes.
If you share the same concerns that many of your neighbors and fellow community members have, now is the time to voice your opinion and help generate awareness of this issue. Help others realize the effects drunk drivers have on our society. Remind your family and friends of the dangers drunk driving presents for all of us. These individuals remove our sense of confidence in that we can safely protect our families. They become that unknown variable on the road that we are all concerned about and all too often, their actions determine the futures of so many. For information on how you can get involved, contact the Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition @ 304-845-3300 or log on to: marshallcountyantidrugcoalition.blogspot.com. You can be the difference this community needs. Stand up and make the statement that “all that separates us from a drunk driver is….You!”
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