2af33ec46ff1a33576e8bf093893012eDo you drink and drive….ever? What about if it is just a glass of wine or 2? Do you do it with your kids in the car? This is a topic I could get on a serious soap box about because I am extremely passionate about it. {Oh hell, I am passionate about a lot of topics, especially ones to do with parenting. Anywho…} I always thought drinking and driving was kind of a college thing and when we all became adults it would for the most part stop. Well I was wrong. I don’t drink and drive. If I am driving and go out to dinner or to a BBQ, etc. I will maybe have 1 glass of wine, and don’t usually finish it. I will sip on it then pour the rest out. I’m just not comfortable doing it….kids or no kids. If there are going to be any kids in my car I won’t drink a thing. Or if I do my husband doesn’t. Why risk it? Ever? No friend, party, BBQ, or a good time is worth even the thought of what could happen. I know so many people that do it though and it blows my mind. I know people that are great parents, but they still will drink and drive…with kids in the car. Some have had just a glass or 2, others wouldn’t pass a breathalyzer.

Can you imagine if you got in a wreck? The different scenarios are terrifying. What if you got pulled over and got a DWI? These thoughts alone make my stomach turn. I don’t ever want to give my children a reason to lose respect for me and it is my job to set the example for them…drinking and driving is NOT what they need to see. Some parents have said their kids are too young to know better or don’t pay attention or know what alcohol is. I say, B.S. Kids know more than they are given credit for most of the time. They are so observant and take it all in.

The National Transportation Safety Board wants states to lower the blood alcohol level from .08 to .05, which means just one drink could send a driver to jail. According to the TABC Blood Alcohol Percentage Charts if I had 2 drinks in 1 hour I would be at .08. Did you know that a 12 oz. margarita is considered 3 drinks? “One drink is based on 1.5 oz. of 80 proof liquor (40%), 12 oz. beer (4.5%), or 5 oz. wine (12%).” When was the last time you were at a BBQ or party and someone actually paid attention to that? When was the last time you paid attention to how many drinks you can have and how often to not go over the legal limit? Those charts are generic charts also, you still have to factor in metabolism, body fat, food, etc. It seems to me that people are always making an excuse to justify though…”Oh, I have had a lot of water or coffee, so I am fine” or “I ate a lot so it soaked up the beer” or “I drink wine all the time, so my tolerance is high” Every single excuse like this causes a serious eye roll from me….it is pretty obvious to see how I feel about this issue though.

Do you or someone you know ever drink and drive with kids in the car? If yes, are you okay with it or ashamed and will you own it and admit it? What do you think about the legal limit being lowered?

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