Because of a drunk driver, a Long Island home now has a **new passage**—right through the living room, stretching from one side of the house to the other.

Yes, a 21-year-old woman named Sophia Anderson actually drove her car right through the house. Although she declined police requests to take a breathalyzer test she was arrested on charges of drunk driving any way and faces serious charges, including destruction of private property. She was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated and likely will have to pay hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars in fines, and have her license suspended for at least six months if convicted. Ouch!

There has been a lot of attention recently on the dangers of distracted driving, including the debate over which is deadlier-drunk driving or distracted driving. But the fact is neither is good for your health or the health of any one sharing the road with you.

there is only one safe way to drive and that is defensively. You need to focus all your attention on the road ahead of you, not the six beers you had at the barbecue (although we have no idea how many beers, if any, Anderson had to drink before plowing into the Long Island house) or the handheld device you might be trying to use while navigating the highway.

There is certainly nothing wrong with consuming alcohol. Nor is there anything wrong with using a cell phone to check your email or text your girlfriend. But neither of these activities is acceptable when you are behind the wheel of an automobile. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out, but judging by the numbers of drivers who continue to do both or either of these things behind the way, the message still is not getting through to everyone.