Tis the season of overindulgence and merrymaking.
The holidays are upon us and with them come endless holiday parties and get-togethers where party-goers put on their finest frocks and suits and celebrate into the early morning hours, eating, drinking and laughing all night long.
Although a joyous time for many, the holiday season is also a time of bad decisions.
With so many after work gatherings and weekend shindigs, there are endless opportunities for party-goers to drink one too many cocktails before hopping in the car for a quick drive home.
In Jasper, quick is the key word. No matter where you live within the townsite, it won鈥檛 take you longer than three minutes to drive from a downtown bar to your home. Of course, by the same logic, it likely won鈥檛 take you much longer than 10 or 20 minutes to walk home, either.
But for many, the short distance and the blistering cold weather will be enough reason to push their keys into the ignition. People easily justify their actions with such rationalizations, forgetting that no matter how far the distance, there is still a significant risk to impaired driving.
Think about it, if you鈥檙e impaired, you likely won鈥檛 be as quick to react to the icy road conditions or the jaywalker, who鈥檚 taking a shortcut to quicken the cold walk home, and as a result, your decision to drive could result in injury or death.
Of course, that is the worst case scenario. But impaired driving has other risks as well. Like, for instance, the risk of getting caught.
If charged with impaired driving, a first time offender receives a one-year driver鈥檚 license suspension.
So if you drive for a living, as a cab driver or tour bus operator, you鈥檙e out of a job.
Or if you have kids whose extra-curricular activities require adventures outside of the park, you鈥檙e out of luck and so are they.
One bad decision: One night of drinking followed by the choice to drive home is all it takes to lose your dignity, your freedom and in some cases your job.
The question is: is losing all of that, or even your life, worth the risk when it costs $5 to cab anywhere in town or mere minutes to walk home?
The answer is no.
So, folks, be safe this holiday season. Leave the keys at home and keep an emergency $5 bill and the card for your favourite cab company tucked in your shoe in case the thermometer drops to -40 C.
