According to MSNBC news, Bon Jovi’s guitarist Richie Sambora was arrested in Laguna Beach, California on suspicion of drunk driving charges Tuesday night. Riding in the car with him were his 10-year old daughter, another young girl, and a woman. Because there were two children riding in the car when Sambora was pulled over, he may face additional charges for child endangerment. This news comes after Sambora visited rehab last year – twice. Last year was a bad year for Sambora – aside from rehab, he broke up with actress Denise Richards, his divorce with Heather Locklear was finalized, and his father passed away from lung cancer, according to People.com.
Regardless of the reasoning and excuses behind drunk driving, the fact of the matter is that it is a dangerous practice. Every time you set your hands on that wheel after having too many beers or shots of vodka you not only take a chance with your own life, but you also risk the lives of those around you. I’ve known people on both ends of the spectrum – the drunk driver, and the people whose lives were affected, directly in a negative way, as the result of someone who had one too many and then decided to sit behind the wheel anyway.
Growing up, my father was a habitual drunk driver. He would guzzle his beers and then hop behind the wheel – not just by himself, but often with myself or my brother in tow. We’d roll down the street at super-slow speeds or weave back and forth across lanes of traffic. It wasn’t until I was much older that I’d realized that people aren’t supposed to move about when they drive. Now, years later with the fear of the punishment of obtaining a DUI as well as pressing health concerns, my father has been sober for over a year.
I also dated a habitual drunk driver. He thought that all was okay even though he’d just passed out in the restaurant over a plate of fries – next to a table of officers none-the-less. He thought that he was a rock star because he’d never been in an accident while driving under the influence. While he’s been lucky thus far (at least to my knowledge) it’s only a matter of time before he harms himself or someone else.
This brings up the question of enabling the drunk driver. When the driver refuses to give up the keys what is the morally correct thing to do? If they drive off drunk anyways, should you call the police? (Yes.) I was so taken aback by this behavior that it was all I could do to stand on the curb and watch him peel out of the parking lot while I dialed up a taxi cab on the phone booth.
What about those times when you’re not passing out in your fries, but you’ve had a few beers with your friends? How can you tell when you should not be on the road? I do not drive myself, but I know others who have purchased pocket breathalyzers in order to determine whether they have drank too much to get themselves safely home. What about cases when medications and alcohol interact? There are so many unknowns that make the old adage “Just don’t do it” blurry.
On the other side of the coin, I’ve known a family whose life was turned upside down because of a drunk driver one morning. The driver caused spinal injuries, possible brain damage, and a leg injury. All four victims were in critical condition for quite a while. A young woman no longer can walk. All because someone who thought they were “OK” to drive hopped behind the wheel. We’ve all seen the commercials, but in that situation everyone thinks “it won’t happen to me.”
In these ways, I’ve been touched by experiences with people driving while inebriated. Richie Sambora will hopefully learn his lesson from this episode – or maybe he won’t. Either way, it calls for dialogue once again on ways to prevent others from driving when they shouldn’t – and for recognizing your own limits.
