Drinking and Driving

1474 Words3 Pages

“Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable” says David J. Hanson, a drunken driving activist. Drinking and driving is a serious crime in all fifty states. The rules and laws may vary among the states. In Illinois, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) or .08 percent or more. A driver also can be convicted of DUI with a BAC of more than .05 if additional evidence is present (DUI Laws par. 1). According to the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes cost more than thirty-seven billion dollars annually and in 2010, more than ten thousand people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes - one every fifty-one minutes (NHTSA par. 3). Anyone and everyone is affected by drinking and driving. One poor decision can affect not only the driver, but the driver’s friends, family, and the people who share the road with the driver.
According to Jesse White, Illinois’ secretary of state, driving under the influence (DUI) is a serious offense with serious consequences. A DUI refers to driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, which includes any legal or illegal substance that causes impairment. Illinois classifies a DUI as a violent crime and a conviction is never expunged from a driver’s record (DUI Laws par. 11). The law enforcement can give three different types of chemical sobriety tests to test if a driver is intoxicated or not. A breath analysis is most commonly measured through the use of a portable breathalyzer. This test indirectly measures blood alcohol concentration by estimating the amount of alcohol on the driver’s breath. A formula is used to convert breath alcohol level to an approximate blo...

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...d emotionally of a DUI? Drinking and driving is a very serious offense in all fifty states and it will not be taken lightly. Everyone is affected by someone’s decision to drink and drive. Drinking and driving is such a big problem but it has such simple solutions: designate a driver, stay overnight, use public transportation, or call someone to pick you up. As Hanson said, “Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable”.

Works Cited

Hanson, David. J. “Driving.” Web log post. Drinking and Driving. Alcohol Problems and Solutions, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Hanson, David. J. “Drunk Driving Can Be Stopped.” Web lob post. Drinking and Driving. Alcohol Problems and Solutions, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Hanson, David J. “Young Drivers and Alcohol.” Web log post. Drinking and Driving. Alcohol Problems and Solutions, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.

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