It is a known fact that drinking and driving is an extremely unintelligent decision. Not only does this affect someone's life by making the decision to be intoxicated behind the wheel, but also this can completely change a stranger's life. Although the mind is being affected while under the influence, it still has shown for a long period of time afterward. This concept is seen in the short story, “Drop by Drop”. The main character, Brenda, is in confusion throughout the story about her decisions to drive while intoxicated. It takes the presence of a ghost and going through a state of denial for Brenda to come to realization with what she has done. In Vivian Vande Velde’s “Drop by Drop”, Vivian uses Brenda as a prime example of mentality from being intoxicated.
Brenda’s mind is making her see things that are not exactly real. Throughout moving into a new house Brenda is noticing several mischievous actions, such as clothes falling to the floor, hearing a toddler's bike with no sight of kids anywhere, and even to the point of seeing a ghost. Little does Brenda know, these events are taking place because of her decision to drink and drive, which she has little to no memory of. This is beginning to change the way she sleeps, when she notices something in her bed and runs to her parents for help, “ I was angry, even though he was right. ‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘ It doesn’t have to be a rat. I couldn’t see what it was. I only felt it’” (Vande Velde 25). Brenda is fully
“Automobiles are not ferocious.... it is man who is to be feared,” as Robbins B. Stoeckel remarked, enumerates a simple, yet fundamental concept- a vehicle in itself is a relatively safe, that is, until you put a person behind the controls. Further adding to the danger is the ever prevalent risk of a fellow driver being impaired by the usage of alcohol; perhaps the only thing that may make such a situation even more difficult and dangerous is one who is under the legal alcohol drinking age. Fewer situations are more life threatening than when an underage driver has been illegally consuming alcohol, yet persists in the belief that he or she retains the ability to drive safely. Thoughts along this line are foolish at best and deadly at
Advertisements posted on the website facesofdrunkdriving.com share multiple stories of people who were unexpectedly struck by drunk drivers. There was one story in particular that stood out to me more than the others and that was Jacqueline Saburido’s. This advertisement makes a powerful statement about how drunk driving can not only kill someone, but can also scar someone for life. The goal of the organization that posted this advertisement is to never drink and drive. It is not worth risking your life, someone else’s life, or putting anyone at risk of lifelong hardships and injuries. They present
Substance abuse is a key component to the problems that we face today as a society. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("Alcohol-Impaired Driving", 2009) in 2009, 32% of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States were due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Surveys were also conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Compton, & Berning, 2009) so researchers were able to estimate not only the prevalence of drinking and driving, but for the first time they were also able to collect data on the number of drivers who were under the influence of drugs that impaired their abilities. In this data, it was found that 16% of weekend night time drivers tested positive for impairing drugs, in contrast to the 2% of drivers who were at the legal alcohol limit; making drugs 7 times more prevalent. These statistics show that “drugged” driving is a concern for not only law enforcement but also puts other drivers at risk of becoming a part of future statistics.
Drunk driving is defined as operating a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol. This is often caused by stupidity or even peer pressure. Your peers influence you a lot in a negative or positive way. In these two short stories by Rodney Stark and Theresa Conroy the characters fall under peer pressure, which leads to both a negative and
In the instance of drunk driving, the actions of the drunk driver are related to the safety of the drivers within their proximity and therefore affects not only the driver but others as well. Our previous moral experiences allow us to determine what the intentions of the drunk driver might be. Some drivers may choose to drive under the influence of alcohol because they have had an emergency that requires them to be at a certain place and they do not have the means to reach to their destination except for driving themselves. In this case, the context becomes complicated and intricate. However, if the driver is risking his own and other drivers’ safety, it becomes clear that their intentions are based on nonchalance and disregard for others.
Driving under the influence has affected many people's lives and families. Today I would like to talk to you about the problems of drinking and driving, and why it is a concern for all of us. Driving under the influence is one of the most common and dangerous situations you can put yourself or someone else in. The fact is that drinking and driving is a huge deal and can leave a long trail of broken dreams and hearts. If you drink and drive, not only are you putting yourself at risk, but your passengers and the pedestrians outside of your vehicle. According to the most recent statistics by the National Commission Against Drunk Driving states that 17,000 Americans die each year in alcohol- related traffic crashes and 600,000 Americans
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).
Driving under the influence has affected many people's lives and families. Today I would like to talk to you about the problems of drinking and driving, and why it is a concern for all of us. Driving under the influence is one of the most common and dangerous situations you can put yourself or someone else in. The fact is that drinking and driving is a huge deal and can leave a long trail of broken dreams and hearts. If you drink and drive, not only are you putting yourself at risk, but your passengers and the pedestrians outside of your vehicle. According to the most recent statistics by the National Commission Against Drunk Driving states that 17,000 Americans die each year in alcohol- related traffic crashes and 600,000 Americans
“In the hands of an impaired driver, a vehicle becomes a murderous weapon.” ( ) Everyone can think of someone who has driven impaired, or even maybe you have done it yourself. The fact that one can think of someone who has driven impaired is a problem. Too many people are getting behind the wheel after drinking, smoking; or are not paying attention while they drive. Impaired driving continues to a problem although strides have been made to make a difference. There are many different types of impaired driving, each that have their own consequences. These types, and consequences will be explored in this essay.
People seem to get the wrong impression that alcohol is classified as a stimulant or “upper”, but in actuality alcohol is a depressant. The short term physical effects depend on the blood-alcohol level. It ranges from random changes in mood to complete lack of coordination, impaired vision, lack of balance and slurred speech. However, larger amounts of blood alcohol can strongly effect brain functioning and eventually cause a person to “black out”. In examining the thought process for drinking and driving behavior, Kulick and Rosenberg (1999) found that while the majority of their college student sample frequently drove after drinking, these students rationalized this behavior in a variety of ways. The most commonly found reasons for driving under the influence of alcohol were the strong desire to get to a specific destination (e.g., home), convincing oneself as being only slightly intoxicated, and/or believing
Alcohol consumption can cause impairment while operating machinery or driving. Alcohol has be proven to affect two specifics part of the brain. The prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. The prefrontal cortex is the center of attention while the hippocampus is the center of learning and memorization. While driving under the influence of alcohol, our attention (which is controlled by the prefrontal cortex) on the road is affected as well as our self-awareness. A second of inattention on the road can result in a deathly event. Thus, we can say that the specific deficit in driving behavior that makes alcohol consumption dangerous is the lack of
"Driving under the Influence." Handbook of Forensic Psychology: Resource for Mental Health and Legal Professionals. Oxford: Elsevier Science & Technology, 2003. Credo Reference. 29 May 2008. Web. 5 Mar.
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.
Suena was walking home and she felt like she was being followed, but she thought it was because of the horror movie she watched the night before. It was about a twenty minute walk for Surena to get home and she often enjoyed but that day she didn’t enjoy it. When she got home there was a note on her fridge from her mother saying she’ll be back in a couple of hours and that there was leftovers in the fridge. She still had that icky feeling that someone was watching her, she kept saying in her head that it was just the horror movie scaring her. Her dog Belle was eating the couch again, when her mom got home she’d be mad. Surena went up stairs to her bedroom and forgot to lock the door that day, when her mother warned her many times before to
“Have one drink for the road” was, until recently, a commonly used phrase in American culture. It has only been within the past 20 years that as a nation, we have begun to recognize the dangers associated with drunk driving (Sutton 463). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this year 519,000 people, or one person per minute, will be injured in alcohol-related accidents. 10,839 people will die in drunk-driving crashes this year – that is one death every 50 minutes. The heartbreaking part is, every injury and lost life due to driving after drinking can be prevented. Drinking while driving “accidents” are not merely “accidents.” Getting in a vehicle after consuming alcohol, which severely affects the function of