Spouse Drinks And Drives

One of the worst things about alcohol is that it encourages us to do stupid stuff. Now, getting drunk and doing something stupid as a college student might seem entertaining, but it’s certainly not the case when you’re supposed to be a responsible adult. 

Unfortunately, alcoholics have a hard time limiting their alcohol consumption and they end up doing stupid stuff more frequently than others. And one of the worst things you can do as an alcoholic is drinking and driving.

Why Drinking And Driving Is Illegal

There are plenty of people who believe that having a few and driving is not a problem. I’m serious. People are stupid enough to believe they can drive under the influence of booze without any problems. 

Well, that’s wrong, and I’m going to tell you why. It doesn’t matter if you’re a highly functional alcoholic. You might be able to work as well as you should when you’re under the influence, but you certainly can’t drive well. 

Alcohol is a sedative that slows down your reflexes and muscle coordination. You might be able to drive in a straight line, but your reaction time will be slower, and that can lead to accidents.

Why Driving Under The Influence Is Always A Bad Idea

I know alcoholics who used to drink and drive on a daily basis. They only drank a little, so they weren’t drunk, but they weren’t sober either. 

Now, one of these guys was heading home from his office. It wasn’t a long commute. He lived in a small town and he only had to drive 3 miles from home to work. This 3–mile route of his passed through an intersection. One evening, as he was heading home, a semi didn’t see the stop sign and crashed into him. 

My friend was one of the lucky ones. He was wearing his seatbelt and the semi crashed into his car’s middle and rear, so he wasn’t harmed. However, the car was severely damaged, and when the police came, they were surprised to find out that both drivers were under the influence of alcohol. 

The police established that the accident was the other driver’s fault since he was under the influence and ran the stop sign. My friend got off easy with a fine for DUI and a mild case of whiplash. But his problems were only starting. 

As I told you, my friend’s car was a total wreck. The semi hit him hard enough to bend his car’s B-pillar. Long story short, the B-pillar is a structural pillar and it’s very difficult and expensive to replace. Some car shops refuse to repair the B-pillar altogether. Anyway, when my friend talked with his insurance company to repair his car, he was surprised to find out his insurance didn’t cover his expenses because he was charged with a DUI. Instead of helping him, the insurance simply brushed him off and told him he had to pay for the repairs himself. 

Driving under the influence is never a good idea, even if you drive slow and follow all the rules. You never know what might happen when you’re on the road.

What To Do When Your Spouse Drinks And Drives

One of the problems people bring up in support groups is how to handle their spouses’ drinking and driving. This is obviously a dangerous behavior, so the family and friends of alcoholics often find themselves wondering how they could handle it. 

Honestly, arguing with an alcoholic about drinking and driving might not get you notable results. Alcoholics have a way of agreeing with you and doing whatever they wanted to do anyway.In addition, arguing with an alcoholic about his or her drinking might make them angry and defensive, so you might not achieve much. So here’s what you can do to stop your loved one from drinking and driving.

1.     Use A Support Network

I learned this one from a support group. It’s not uncommon for people in support groups to relapse from time to time. Alcohol addiction is nasty, and abstaining is a daily struggle. Some people relapse. We don’t judge them, we only try to help. Anyway, the support group encouraged members to call other members if they relapsed and wanted to drive. 

You could use this system yourself. Tell your spouse to contact you or other friends if he or she wants to drink and drive. Tell them you would rather have them calling than driving, so they won’t feel bad about doing it. However, you should keep in mind that you or the person who is picking them up shouldn’t criticize your spouse for drinking. Reinforce the point that calling for a driver is acceptable.

2.     Take The Keys

Another way to use the support system is to take the intoxicated person’s car keys. Talk to your friends and make an agreement to handle over your car keys whenever one of you drinks. This will allow you to look after one another and the peer pressure might convince your spouse to stop drinking and driving.

3.     Have Dry Nights Out

If you can’t convince your loved one to stop drinking and driving, maybe you can coerce them into it. Talk with his or her friends and have dry nights out if he or she continues to drink and drive. Your spouse might enjoy drinking, but he or she might think twice about driving after if the people around them would stop partying when he or she would do it.

4.     Have The Talk

If the problem persists and your spouse has developed a pattern of drinking and driving, you should have a serious talk. You might choose to talk alone, or you can plan an intervention. Drinking and driving is a hazardous behavior, and something bad is bound to happen. A frank conversation or an intervention might change his or her mind about this destructive behavior.

How To Stop Your Spouse From Drinking And Driving

If talking to your spouse about the dangers of drinking and driving does not change their behavior, you might be better off planning an intervention. Interventions are so popular because they work. When the room is filled with people you love and everyone asks you to change your behavior, you’re inclined to do it. 

For more information about this topic, please visit https://www.freddygetsalife.com/when-your-partner-is-drinking-and-driving/