Living and working in Mount Pleasant has its perks, among them being a relatively low crime rate, especially as it relates to violent transgressions. However, one type of felony that continues to thrive in several communities of the Lowcountry and the entire Palmetto State is driving drunk.
South Carolina, in fact, ranks eighth among the worst states for drunk driving, according to Forbes.com. Even worse, South Carolina has the third highest rate of people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver (6.02 per 100,000 state residents), per the same news source.
Education, income and social status are often irrelevant in determining who will make the ill-advised decision of operating a 4,000-7,000-pound vehicle in a stupefied state and endangering the lives of those in their path.
Consequently, we continue to see inebriated folks from the affluent communities of Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island throw any shred of reason out the window after downing a few too many in the selfish interest of driving themselves home.
Most recently, the Moultrie News – and other news sources – reported the arrest of a local mother who was collared on a DUI charge upon her attempt to drive two children home from a Mount Pleasant elementary school.
After posting the report, I was subject to multiple complaints concerning my inclusion of the driver’s name in the crime article. Without delving into too many details, this writer was accused of shaming the suspect, as well as making her child the target of people’s scorn.
I was asked if I was a father and why would I want to put a child in that kind of unflattering position.
It’s the kind of guilt trip that Catholic moms often subject you to as both a minor and an adult.
As an editor and reporter, I sift through a number of police incident reports weekly. And contrary to popular belief, I don’t put everything that comes before me in the paper. Primarily, I look for felonies that impact our local quality of life.
Drunk driving is one of those crimes that I will always highlight due to the nature of collisions that often result from someone’s careless actions, where innocent victims either end up injured or dead.
The aforementioned suspect is choosing the wrong battles if she’s preoccupied with some local journalist shaming her and putting her kid in a bad spot. Instead, she should be thankful that there were people at the school that took note of her intoxicated state and informed the authorities before the subject drove off with two minors in her vehicle.
What this person should be focusing on now is dealing with her problem. If she has an addiction to alcoholic beverages, then she needs to seek help.
As for the child, this is a learning moment for the youngster that hopefully sticks with them in their adult years when they’ll be at the controls of a fast-moving vehicle.
In the meantime, reports state that 37 people in the United States die every day in drunk-driving car collisions – that’s one alcohol-impaired driving fatality every 39 minutes for those scoring at home.
And what are we doing to prevent this? Not enough.
When’s the last time you saw a TV commercial warning you about driving drunk? And where are the signs that should be plastered all over the outside of bars and restaurants? Better yet, where is the technology to help spot an intoxicated driver? What happened to those cars that wouldn’t start if you had the scent of booze on your breath?
Look, I’m no prude when it comes to enjoying a fine whiskey or bourbon, but as time goes on, I’m also realizing that there is truly zero upside to consuming alcohol in any form.
Wine connoisseurs will tell you about the cardiovascular benefits of regularly consuming red vino, when in reality it has a better chance of making you fat and lazy. In fact, as one continues drinking past their sixties, all it will do is increase your chances for dementia.
But I’m not typing this piece to tell people what and how much to drink. In this land of milk and honey, we have choices of what we can eat, drink or smoke. Let’s just be smart about it. If you’re looking forward to tossing down a few vodka cranberries, then do it from the comfort of your home and pass out on your couch instead of being on the road.
