Social Issues Drunk Driving

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Recommended: Stricter laws to prevent drunk driving

Social Issue: Drunk driving According to The Foundation for a Drug-Free World, the risk of death due to a vehicle accident is 11 times higher when a driver is under the influence of alcohol. On average, two in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime. In America, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash every 51 minutes. In addition, someone is injured in a drunk driving crash every 2 minutes. On average, eight teenagers a day die as a result of crashes that involve DUIs. Although the drunk driving rate in the United States has been cut in half, more still needs to be done to prevent deaths and injuries from alcohol related traffic crashes. Impairment is not reliant upon the type of alcohol consumed, rather …show more content…

In 2013, 28.7 million people admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol. So what has been done to try and prevent drinking and driving? Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) was founded on September 5, 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver. MADD is designed to “to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking” (1). MADD has evolved into one of the most influential and widely supported non-profit organizations in America. MADD is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving, drugged driving and underage drinking. There’s also been laws created to try and prevent drunk driving. In the United States, it is illegal to drive with a BAC higher than .08%. Each state has other laws and punishments. For example, in Arizona, first offenders get mandatory jail time and an ignition interlock device (IID) installed on their vehicle after a period of license suspension. Arizona has a zero tolerance for underage drinkers. If someone is driving with a BAC 0.15% or more, it is considerd an enhanced penalty. When getting pulled over in Arizona, you have to submit to a BAC test. The minimum license suspension for a first offense is 90 days, 1 year for a second offense, and 3 years for a 3rd offense. People who get DUIs much also go to mandatory alcohol

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