Drunk Driving
Every year hundreds of thousands
of people are killed as a result of drunk driving and hundreds
of thousands more are consequently affected. Drunk driving is
a preventable offense, however once a person has taken alcohol
into the body, its intoxicating effects impair judgment and decision-making
skills. In the legal system, having a blood alcohol level (BAC)
of 0.08 or higher means that a person is driving under the influence
and can be arrested for this behavior. A person’s BAC may
be determined by the use of a breathalyzer test, which analyzes
a person’s alcohol content, or by the use of standardized
motor skills tests such as walking a straight line or touching
one’s fingertip to the nose.
In recent years pressure from
organizations such as MADD (Mother Against Drunk Driving) and
governmental agencies has strengthened laws and law enforcement
in the area of drunk driving. Punishments for Driving While Intoxicated
(D.W.I.) and Driving Under the Influence (D.U.I.) include heavy
fines, alcohol education classes and, in some cases, jail time.
Aside from the legal consequences, drunk driving can also have
severe mental, emotional and physical consequences if any type
of accident occurs. Alcohol-related deaths top the cause of death
chart for the young adult bracket, ages 18-25, and alcohol is
considered one of the main factors in car accident injuries.
While a person’s level of
intoxication is dependent on a number of things, being safe, smart
and aware are all extremely important when drinking. In more urban
areas programs such as SAFERIDE have been started to ensure that
bar hoppers and club-goers do not drink and drive. These safe
driving programs offer transportation to people who are too intoxicated
to drive themselves or their friends safely home.
Advertising campaigns sponsored
by government organizations urge people to be careful about whether
or not to drive after they drive. In addition, many city police
departments have set up ‘sobriety checkpoints’ at
which people are randomly tested for alcohol. These types of activities
have helped decrease the number of drunk drivers on the roads;
however, drunk driving is still a problem.
By understanding the dangers of
drunk driving and sharing them with friends
and loved ones, it could make the difference between life and
death. People who get in the car drunk do not intend to injury
themselves or anyone else, but their choice to drink and drive
has already placed them in a dangerous game of roulette. Drunk
driving can be prevented.
