Alcohol Essay example

"Here's a Simple Way to Reduce Drunk Driving Deaths." Science of Us, 5 Jan. 2017. General OneFile,proxy.nvc.alamo.edu:4443/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=txshracd2891&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA476594093&it=r&asid=578d4783e07ce2dfd577e81b85a04876. Accessed 18 Apr. 2017.

Not so fun fact: In 2009,“According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk driving fatalities accounted for 32% of all traffic deaths last year, that is, on average someone is killed in an alcohol-impaired driving crash every 45 minutes in the U.S.” (National Highway). Doesn’t that just make you want to get in your car and go on road trip?!

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

In 2013, 10,076 people were killed in drunk driving incidents. Out of those people, 65% (6,515) were drivers, 27% (2,724) were passengers, and 8% (837) were non-passengers (“Drunk Driving Statistics”). Over half of those fatalities (67.1%) involved blood alcohol levels over .15% (“Drunk Driving Statistics”). The legal blood-alcohol content is .08%. Drunk driving caused 31% of deaths in car crashes in 2013 (“Drunk Driving Statistics”). In 2012, 402 people were killed by alcohol impairment in North Carolina (“Drunk Driving Statistics”). These numbers, though they seem astonishing, have been cut in half since 1991 (“Drunk Driving Statistics”). Even though the number of fatalities has been lowered, that number is not low enough. Most drunk drivers are repeat offenders. Lives are being taken because of the careless attitude of the drunk drivers. Drunk driving is selfish; those who commit this crime do not think about the extreme consequences of their actions. In North America it is estimated that 1-5 drivers has been drinking and 1 in 10 is legally impaired on any Friday or Saturday night (Root). Many groups, including MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), are fighting to stop drunk driving. Unfortunately, drunk driving cannot be stopped. People will always commit this heinous crime. The numbers may go down, but unfortunately there will always be a number. The only way to continually decrease the amount of lives lost is to increase punishments for drunk driving.

Drunk driving is an epidemic that continues to have severe and life threatening consequences for those involved, if we simply take a few steps against drunk driving we can help decrease this epidemic.

In response to an estimated thirteen thousand people being killed each year in drunk driving crashes (Weir), the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles’ Campaign to Prevent Drunk Driving is proposing a project that will focus on four important methods in order to combat this terrible crime: require ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers to prove they are sober before driving; support law enforcement to discourage people from driving drunk; support the expansion of motor vehicle technology to determine whether or not a driver is above the legal limit of 0.08 before driving; and encourage a Drinking Driver Program that will educate those already convicted of a drunk driving on their alcohol choices. With the approval of the Head of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and an

In the United States approximately every 52 minutes there is a fatality caused by drinking and driving. This issue has been one of the most talked about social issues in the last 30 years. The Ad Council has been one of the main voices behind the increasing knowledge of this issue. With their campaign “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” they have been able to create a better understand of what “drunk driving” is. With the Ad Council’s use of fatality rate, finical loss and pledges to not drive buzzed, they have crafted a way to raise awareness of this problem in the United States.

brings. Organizations such as MADD Mothers against Drunk Driving want to keep alcohol out of

arrest. The streets of Mississippi are flooded with impaired drivers that risk not only their life but

When a family gets woken up at two in the morning by a police officer knocking on the door to inform them that their loved one passed away because a drunk driver was on the road. For the family to have to go through the process of planning the funeral; knowing that they will never see that person again. Not all the time does car accidents involving drinking and driving leads to death but there can also be serious injury that completely alters someone's life. The victim could be paralyzed or anything serious like that where the person can't even take care of themselves. No one should be able to get away with drinking and driving even if it is a first offense there should be a

For starters, many argue that tougher penalties or better technology will stop people from drinking while driving. To begin with, technology can help reduce the amount of drunk driving accidents. Firstly David Strickland, National Highway Safety Administrator, argues that human error creates 90% of all crashes. Secondly, the NHSA adds that insurance companies and car makers are working on a technology that will keep drunk drivers’ cars from starting. Finally, Jerry Hirsch of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety states that 10,000 people were killed last year in alcohol-related incidents. That’s almost one-third of all traffic accidents due to drunk drivers (Hirsch).

There are so many different stories about drunk driving accidents and how people are killed daily. According to Pasman-Green, “Despite harsher statutory penalties, more comprehensive treatment opportunities and obligations for offenders, and ongoing public awareness efforts, the sobering evidence is that drunk driving remains largely undeterred.” There is another way we can try to deter the effects of drunk

Every day in America, 27 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes (MADD).

However there may be a solution to stopping deviant drunk drivers. If it is impossible to get rid of a problem, we will simply stop making the problem worse. One thing that can be done is to reach out to communities around the nation. Community organizers everywhere are making an impact on the people in the neighborhoods of each city and has even gotten the N.H.T.S.A.’s attention. “The first examples of such organizations were the Alcohol Safety Action Projects (ASAPs), funded in 35 communities by the NHTSA” (Voas and Fell 7)

However, driving drunk or intoxicated places people at risk of highway injuries, car accidents and vehicular deaths. For instance, there is an alcohol involved traffic fatality every 40 minutes in USA (CDCP, 2016). It can be argued that the harm of drink driving can be preventable. Brake (2016), the road safety charity, is calling for a zero tolerance approach in the UK including police enforcement for a greater impact suggesting that these measures can stop drink driving.