I've always taken the responsibility of being a Designated Driver very seriously. It's not always fun to be the one in the group that's sipping Diet Pepsi while the others are enjoying cocktails and letting off steam but it's worse to have an accident or an arrest on the way home.

I was once a passenger in a car that was stopped by a trooper and the driver  was asked to pass a sobriety test on the side of the road.  He hadn't been drinking so he passed the test and we were on our way without incident.  But only because we were smart.

This week, Aaron Stefanski of Fort Wayne, Indiana wasn't very smart. After stopping to shop at a liquor store, he was arrested after allegedly strapping four young children to the hood of his car.

"I was only going to drive around the corner. I thought they would like it." - Aaron Stefanski

The store manager and other bystanders called 911 and reported that Stefanski used a tow strap to tie the children onto the vehicle before driving off down the street. Authorities heard the dispatch and stopped the car about three blocks from the store.

I'll continue to take my turn as Designated Driver and be glad that my friends can have a good time, be safe, and live to enjoy another night on the town knowing they'll have a safe ride home (on the inside of the car) at the end of the night.