One Mistake, Relentless Pain—The Real-Life Consequences of Drinking and Driving

Sept. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- It’s common knowledge that when you drink and then get behind the wheel of a car, you run the risk of injuring or even killing yourself and others. That clearly is the worst possible outcome of a poor decision. What is discussed less frequently are the very real financial, emotional, and logistic hardships one can expect if they make the reckless choice of driving under the influence.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes cost us an estimated $37 billion annually. That figure accounts for factors such as lost wages and company revenue due to job suspension or termination, fees and fines that must be paid, attorney costs, and a myriad of other expenses that crop up in the wake of a DUI arrest. More than 1.5 million people are arrested for DUI every year.

“Most people simply don’t understand the cascade of nightmares that follow a DUI and how serious they can be,” says David Koch, a former executive of two Fortune 50 companies and author of the new book “One Mistake, Relentless Pain.” “Driving under the influence can touch every aspect of your life from your career to your personal relationships to your ability to go to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk. When you choose to operate a vehicle while under the influence, you are gambling with your entire life down to the smallest detail.”

In “One Mistake, Relentless Pain,” a high-potential executive shares the details of his harrowing DUI experience, from losing his career to multiple mandatory court appearances and rigorous probation to losing his driver’s license and the professional and personal reputation he had built over two decades. In this blow-by-blow account, he openly shares the legal ramifications and career setbacks he experienced in the hope that others, from college students to businesspeople, digest it and avoid making a life-altering mistake.

“Being charged with a DUI is a humbling and an exhausting experience,” Mr. Koch explains. “There is no avoiding the shame and embarrassment of explaining it to family, friends, and colleagues, and the consequences are unrelenting. I believe my story will shock readers and make them think about how they would be affected if they made the decision to drink and drive. Then, most importantly, hopefully they will make the right decision.”

Those who are arrested for DUI can expect the folowing consequences:
* Loss of income and employment opportunities and significantly reduced earning power
* Potential bankruptcy due to attorney costs, court fees, and fines compounded by the loss of income
* Multiple attorney consultations, court appearances, probation interviews, and endless waiting
* Mandatory state-supervised probation including monthly check-ins, community service, outpatient rehabilitation, AA meetings, counseling sessions, and a host of other do’s and dont’s
* Loss of license for a minumum of six months for a first-time offense, mandatory DUI safety school, and installation of the DUI interlock ignition system in your vehicle
* Enormous car, health, and life insurance rate increases as a result of beig a “high risk” driver
* Possibly felony charges with the potential of significant prison time
* Manslaughter or murder charges if the DUI results in someone’s death

“If you choose to drink and drive and are caught, you are ultimately giving up control of your own life,” notes Mr. Koch. “You are putting yourself at the mercy of the attorneys, judges, prison officials, counselors, and probation officers who will oversee nearly every aspect of your life. Don’t take that risk. My story details exactly what happens and the resulting hardships if you choose wrong.”

David Koch was a top-ranked sales representative, trainer, division manager, and director of marketing for two Fortune 50 medical-device companies for more than twenty-two years. He was involved in numerous high-level projects and initiatives to grow a $2 billion business, none of which are as important as telling his story in the hope of preventing others from one day telling theirs. He lives in Florida with his wife of twenty years and their eleven-year-old twins.