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effect of drunk driving
effect of drunk driving
effect of drunk driving
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Driving under the influence of alcohol has been a major issue in America, spanning all the way back to more than 50 years ago (Raymond). Many accidents are caused from drinking and driving yearly, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries involving innocent people. When alcohol is mixed with driving a motor vehicle, there are no limits to who may be at risk. This means that drunk driving has been harming, hurting and killing many innocent people in America. Over the years I have witnessed many aftermaths of drunk driving accidents and have heard of multiple accidents resulting from alcohol use involving people I know, and people I do not know. Sometimes, in accidents like these, all parties involved may walk away from the accident with little to no injury, but unfortunately, this is not the case for every accident caused by the consumption of alcohol. With the social push to reduce the amount of drinking and driving, I must ask why some people ignore the dangers of this issue, and why do many knowledgeable teens and adults get behind the wheel intoxicated? Maybe these drivers are feeling invincible, experiencing adrenaline, trying to get home after a night out; they all may have a different reason but nothing that justifies their actions. For some, realizing the dangers of driving under the influence may take a shock experience for them to really open their eyes. Oakville High school (the school I attend) recently hosted a Mock Car Crash in order to recreate and demonstrate a scene of a car crash that has happened in real life. This crash involved alcohol use and was a gruesome scene; some viewers even had to leave because the event was overwhelming. I think this event really made an impact on my peers and the school made a ve...
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...only to see what the future holds.
Works Cited
"Drinking and Driving: First-timers Too Will Lose Licence - The Times of India."The Times of India.
INDIATIMES, 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
Houston, David J., Lilliard E. Richardson, and Jr. "Drinking and Driving in America." JSTOR. Political
Research Quarterly, Mar. 2004. Web. 05 May 2014.
"Injury Prevention & Control: Motor Vehicle Safety." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Kellermann, Kelly. "Driving Under the Influence." Personal interview. 7 May 2014.
Raymond, Adam K. "A Brief History of Drunk Driving | The Fix." The Fix. N.p., 23 Nov. 2011. Web.
11 May 2014.
University of California, San Diego. "Drinking and driving: Unsafe at any level, study concludes."
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 January 2014.
Hingson, Ralph. "Prevention of Drinking and Driving." Alcohol Research & Health. Winter 1996-1997: 219-226. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
Drunk driving is an issue that effects many people across our nation. People do not realize the affects alcohol can have on the body and mind that slow decision making while driving. This issue begins in the home. Children see their parents, or other adults figures, have a beer or a cocktail and get in the car. Thus, making it seem like it is acceptable to drink and drive. “One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime” (MADD).
The Legal Minimum Drinking Age and Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes Allan F. Williams, Robert F. Rich, Paul L. Zador and Leon S. Robertson The Journal of Legal Studies , Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jan., 1975), pp. 219-239
The facts are plain and simple, that alcohol and driving do not mix. About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol related crash at some time in their lives. Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable. To curb this national travesty, concerned Americans need to examine the problems, the effects, and the solutions to drunk driving. First of all, America has had a problem with drunk driving since Ford perfected the assembly line. Alcoholism is a problem in and of itself, but combined with driving can have a wide range of effects. The consequences of this reckless behavior can include a first time DUI or licenses suspension; a small fender bender, or worst of all a deadly crash. Most drivers that have only one or two drinks feel fine, and assume they are in control, which is irresponsible and dangerous. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down the body's ability to react and impairs judgment. To drive well, you need to be able to have a quick reaction time to avoid accidents. Unfortunately, people continue to drink and drive. However,...
“Every year, in the United States about 600,000 and ten percent-of all motor vehicle crashes recorded by police department are all due to consumption of alcohol.” In 2003; 42,643 fatalities were caused by vehicle crashes. Of those, 17,013 (40 percent) were alcohol related. The majority people with DUI’s are not alcoholics. “Beer drinking causes about 80 percent of alcohol-related fatalities.” A crash is alcohol related if any driver, pedestrian or passenger involved has any trace of alcohol or there is suspicion of alcohol usage. As the cases of drunk driving quickly increase over a period of time as one of the fast developing public problem, more definite and stricter regulations should be emphasized on books and in the academic world to control such recurring drunk driving offenses.
While I have never personally been involved in a crash caused by drunk driving, as a fire fighter I have approached the aftermath of many. The worst drunk driving accident I have witnessed was a car that had rolled three times. The guy flew out the front window leaving deep cuts all over his head. Because he was intoxicated, he tried to get up and move around, oblivious to his injuries or pain. He didn’t even realize he had gotten into an accident. As I watched the scene unfold, it made me angry. I didn’t understand how people could out themselves and others into dangerous or even fatal risks!
ProQuest Staff. "At Issue: Drunk Driving." ProQuest LLC. 2013: n.pag. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Drunk driving is a problem that we hear about every day and it is something that effects everyone, but it only becomes real when it affects us directly. What we don’t know is when a problem like drunk driving will become “real” for us. Drunk driving is an issue that has taken a toll on our country and should be stopped. Drunk driving has been an increasing problem for many years. It effects not only the driver but all of society. The good thing is there are many ways the percentage of drunk drivers can be reduced. Although many people believe drunk driving doesn't affect them because they don't drink and drive, it is something that affects the whole community.
Over the last several years the dangers of driving while intoxicated have increased and have become a serious threat to this nation. Although, men are considered the main perpetrators of DUIs recently women, young adults, and even teenagers have been pulled over and arrested for being intoxicated while operating a vehicle. Many groups and organizations have been formed in an attempt to keep drunk drivers off the roads. Laws have been passed and are constantly changing in an attempt to cut down the number of DUIs and deaths. With new technology in production and automakers adding more safety features to their cars the war against drunken driving is still going on. Therefore, as a result of the increase due to drinking and driving, it is essential that tougher laws are enacted.
Youngerman, Barry. The Truth about Alcohol. Ed. Mark J. Kittleson. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Print.
Alcohol is causing too many deaths. Each year, excessive drinking is responsible for the deaths of 80,000 people in the United States, 4,700 of which are young Americans (6). Alcohol by itself is dangerous; this danger is (made greater) when individuals consuming it are allowed to drive a vehicle. Research has shown that a pedestrian struck by a vehicle moving at 40 miles an hour has a fifty percent chance of getting killed as a result of the impact (9). A distracted or impaired driver will not be able to react as fast as a non-impaired driver, meaning a drunk driver is a more dangerous driver than a sober one.
The growing awareness of alcohol hazards has made people more cautious of their drinking habits, particularly young adults. At present young adults have the highest prevalence of alcohol consumption than any other age group. They also drink more heavily, experience more negative consequences, and engage in more harmful activities, specifically drunk driving. Although surveys have documented a decline in recent years, consumption rates remain highest from late teen years to the late twenties (Johnston1-3). Despite the long-term decline since 1982 in alcohol related traffic deaths, a 4 percent increase occurred between 1994 and 1995 among young adults age 21 and over (Hingson 4). As alcohol-impaired driving persists, legal and community initiatives intervene to help reduce the problem, as well as, continuing research on possible solutions.
Main Point I: I’d like to start off by talking about the penalties of drinking and driving. Did you know that drunk driving is the nation’s most frequently committed violent crime? A chronic drunk driver is a person who has driven over 1,000 times before being caught. They do not respond to social pressures, law enforcement, and the messages that have been combined to reform the drinking and driving behavior of our society.
When someone makes the decision to consume alcoholic beverages, it should go without saying that they should also be choosing to be a responsible drinker. Being a responsible drinker means not consuming more alcohol than their body can handle and more importantly, not getting behind the wheel of any type of vehicle after drinking. In an article written by high school student Steven Engler, he says it well; “If you choose to use it, do it responsibly, and don’t put anyone’s life in danger, including your own.” (New York Times, 2003) No matter the person’s age or the type of alcohol consumed, alcohol lowers a person’s inhibitions and ability to think clearly, while also increasing their chances of engaging in risky activities. It is possible for a person to have a few drinks, relax and have a good time however, all too often people overdo it and end up making bad decisions that they most often regret. Many times, the worst of these decisions is convincing themselves that they are “fine” and what they drank will not impair their driving. Some may say that these individuals simply “made a mistake.” Yes, everyone does make mistakes however, driving while intoxicated is not a mistake that affects only them, it is something that affects and risks the lives of many people and themselves. The sad thing is that drunk driving is one hundred percent preventable and therefore the loss of lives due to the recklessness of drinking and driving is preventable as well. Mr. Bloomberg hit the nail on the head when he said “Simply put, drunk driving is selfish, criminal and it kills, and we are not going to tolerate it.” (New York Times, 2002) Drinking and driving is a selfish act made by a person who seemingly does not care about the people around th...
Many people in the United States enjoy a drink of their favorite alcoholic beverage. It could be a nice ice cold beer after a hard day of work or going to the bar and enjoying a few shots or mixed drinks with friends. Drinking alcohol is a common way to mingle with friends and take the edge off a difficult day. However, there are dangers involved with alcohol since it does dampen the body’s ability to cope with new information. Alcohol becomes a poison to the body when consumed in large quantities. The biggest danger is not to the driver after they become inebriated, but comes to anyone the drunk driver comes in contact with. A sober person can be dangerous just by being distracted, but a drunk driver’s ability to cope with changing situations and distractions is one of the biggest hazards on today’s roads. Some individuals believe that they are not as impaired as what they are led to believe from government ads and the many videos that show what can happen to someone who is drinking and driving. Although, there are many policies in place to advocate against drunk driving, there are those who would endanger themselves and others with their thoughtless actions when they jump into the driver’s seat of a vehicle. Drinking and driving should never be combined because a person who has been drinking does not have the ability to use all mental faculties unimpaired, many people have been killed, injured, or psychologically hurt by a drunk driver, many men and women do not know the difference weight and gender have on the body’s ability to process alcohol, and the financial and legal trouble that is awaiting for those convicted by a DUI.