[danielofthesaints]

Originally Posted by BringBackThatOleTimeBoys

I was away from this forum for a few hours and boom! over 500 posts on the tragic accident that killed Jerry Brown and ruined Josh Brent's life. Again: my prayers for their families and friends - what I say next is not directed at them but everyone else.

At the very least, could some of you that refuse to let someone else drive you home after a party listen? When I read the papers next weekend the answer will be "Hell no!" That's the saddest part.

There are a couple of times in my life I definitely should not have been driving, but at least I made sure I was driving slow under the influence. I was still wrong, but what I will never understand is getting drunk and driving twice as fast at 80 or so driving like a Bat outta Hell, thinking I'm indestructible.

[View Full Quote]It's not that hard to find DUI fatalities in the D/FW area for non-celebs - seems like it happens at least every other day. Struck on the wrong side of the freeway. Hit a house. Rollover. Passenger ejected. In the instance of the latest Cowboy's tragedy, 900-foot skidmarks. Screams no judgement and way too much speed.

Road deaths are 30,000 annually - half of what they were 40 years ago, but still too many. About 2/3 of them involve alcohol. The next biggest factor is speed, enabled by.... alcohol. I'm happy cars have padded interiors, safety glass, airbags, ABS, crumple zones, etc., etc., but often lulls the driver into a false sense of security. Even pickups are quiet as luxury cars, so you don't realize you are going fast unless you look at the speedometer. Faster 0 to 60 times with rack-and-pinion steering enable reckless driving. Since we have done so much to make cars safer, it's time we demand the driver to be safe.

Around Dallas I wonder if 10% or so of the drivers are drunk, high, got in the truck right after they beat up their girlfriend? I see crazy stuff it seems no sober person would do like pivot from the fast lane, four lanes into a freeway exit 50 yards ahead...suprized I have not seen one of them t-boned. One night on the freeway I screamed: "Oh $#!t" as someone was doing at least 120, then realized I'd been killed instantly if it happened differently.

We have been "educated" enough - next weekend hellions are going to ignore this tragedy and get more people killed DUI. They seem determined to break any law or mock any rehab. Are we just stuck with drivers with a death wish? It seems that way.

In all honesty, driving slow poses its own problems as does driving fast. Even though you were impaired on the road, driving slow puts more people at risk than you would think. I know you said you were in the wrong and I'm not trying to prove my point towards you, because I would hope you can see that too. It's just a general message for anyone not to even put themselves in that situation.