They say that alcohol is the devil’s brew and indeed, many of its effects have proven to be a trigger for bad things to happen and the consequences undoubtedly tragic.

Most recently in Castro Valley in San Francisco, a suspected drunk driver was killed after he tried to evade the Alameda County’s sheriff’s deputies.

He was first cited in Mission Boulevard driving his Lexus in reverse and when confronted by the authorities, he was slurring his speech. He then tried to take off and a chase happened from Highway 238 to Redwood Road.

The drunk driver lost control of his car and struck a parked car, a traffic light and a retaining wall. His Lexus flipped and he was ejected before it burst into flames. He was later on pronounced dead at the Eden Medical Center.

The man is just one of the many Americans who have become another statistic in the increasing numbers of drunk driving fatalities. In 2008, California had 1,029 alcohol-related deaths while the national figures yielded 11,700 fatalities in highway crashes involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

It’s disheartening and rather terrifying to think that despite the presence and enforcement of the DUI laws and the fact that people have been exposed to the reality of drunk driving, many motorists continue to do so.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), out of ten Americans, three will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. There is too much danger on the roads because of these drunk drivers who refuse to be responsible about their choices.

All alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, which is considered as a psychoactive drug. A Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .06-.10 can already impair a person’s reasoning, reflexes, depth perception, and peripheral vision. The person’s behavior is also affected and he may start to exhibit disinhibition, blunted feelings, extroversion.

Some studies have also indicated that persons under the influence of alcohol have a reduced understanding of the consequences of their action or behavior.

This is the reason why a lot of drunk people, not just drunk drivers, do many stupid things they may regret later on.

Drunk drivers are more apt to speed, commit traffic violations and drive the wrong way not just because they’re mentally impaired but also because of a false sense of confidence.

The driver who died in Castro Valley most likely thought he was making a great escape but in the end, instead of losing the cops who were on his trail, he lost his life.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol is one of the worst decisions anyone could make, not just for himself but also for other people who are also on the road. Because in the end, you can’t say the devil made you do it because you only have yourself to blame.