I was driving home from a grocery trip not far from my home. I was a bit surprised when I came to a police checkpoint right before I turned into my driveway. As I approached, there was a sign that read "checkpoint" and there were also several law enforcement vehicles on both sides of the road. There were traffic cones out, and there must have been ten officers doing checks.

A very sober driver joked about being nervous as she approached a checkpoint, so we asked her to document her unexplained feelings of nervousness...

I must say, I felt quite nervous and surprised. Many thoughts raced through my head... Is it some special holiday I forgot about? Is this a sobriety checkpoint? Are they just checking licenses and proof of insurance? What is going on? 

I immediately got my license, registration, and proof of insurance ready to show the officer. I don't know why, but I still felt nervous. I knew I hadn't drank enough alcohol combined in my 65 years of life to fail a breathalyzer test, but I was still mysteriously scared. Feeling as if I was actually guilty, I started looking around my car to make sure I didn't have anything illegal. (I did, in fact, have tons of Dr. Pepper from my grocery trip, and my kids keep telling me it's a crime the number of Dr. Peppers I drink.)

Well, a polite officer steps up to the window of my car and simply asks, "Have you been drinking tonight, ma'am?" I smiled and said, "No." (Surely, he couldn't mean "Have you been drinking Dr. Pepper tonight, ma'am?" right?)

So if her breath alcohol concentration was zero, why was she nervous?

I am very thankful for the wonderful job these officers are doing protecting our streets. I think it was the large number of uniformed officers and the unusual day and time of the checkpoint that had this law-abiding, 65 year old elementary school teacher who has drank 3 alcoholic drinks in her entire life nervous. I can't help but think if this checkpoint made me this nervous, it would be very stressful for someone who had actually been drinking. Don't drink and drive! 

Drinking and driving is no joke

This post may seem joking or silly in nature, but there is nothing funny at all about drinking and driving. If you are sober when you approach a checkpoint, that nervous or uncomfortable feeling will be just temporary. But if you have been drinking, your life could change from that point forward. A DWI could cost you lots of money, put your job in jeopardy, and hurt lots of people (even if you get caught before physically hurting someone on the road, your loved ones will certainly be worried about you and your decisions). We hope you'll avoid drinking and driving. But if you've already made the mistake, call us or visit our website to learn about your interlock options.