Drunk Driving Research Paper

Every day twenty-seven people die as a result of drunk driving which equates to approximately 10,000 people a year. Driving under the influence is a crime when a person’s blood level of alcohol exceeds the legal limit of 0.08%. Standard penalties against first time offenders include: having their driver’s licenses revoked and paying a fine ranging from $500-$2,000. All drunk drivers should be imprisoned for eight or more months because they are likely to repeat the offense, they cause most automobile fatalities/injuries, and drivers can participate in rehabilitation programs while incarcerated.

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

Alcohol increases impairments and makes driving riskier. (CGA) Impaired thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination are all crucial skills needed to work a vehicle safely. Driving while intoxicated is so serious that every day 28 people die within the US of an alcohol related vehicle crash. (NHTSA.gov) Even more concerning is most offenders who finally get caught have driven drunk at least 80 times prior. (MADD) An offender finally pulled over would receive a citation, likely a penalty to pay and possible a suspension

“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.

We have all had some kind of knowledge or even personal experience with the effects of drinking and driving, whether it is watching a report on the news, having friends or family being involved as a victim or offender, to even being a victim or offender yourself. The aftermath of drinking and driving, even if only a few drinks were consumed, is a tragedy for all persons involved. The current rational of just having a few drinks is that consuming only a little alcohol means that the person isn’t intoxicated nor suffers the effects of alcohol, even though medical science proves this to be false. Typically the majority of offenders that drink and drive, do not set out to operate a motor vehicle under the influence, much less, understand the

When an individual consumes a drink, the alcohol is directed to the blood stream, there are tests that measure how much alcohol is in the system with an approximation percentage. Having 8% percent of alcohol in your body is already considered over board and the person is guessed to be a danger to society if driving a vehicle. DUI is considered to be the nations most committed crime up to date, back in the 80’s people started supporting ways to fight drinking and driving, and were willing to give up some “freedom” to have stricter legal deeds. The people took this movement into a legislative sector. Somewhere between the 1981 and 1987 about 934 laws were passed by state legislatures having to do with the drinking and driving epidemic. Legal measures concentrate on preventing these drunk drivers by enforcing stricter laws and finding ways they could get punished.

Paying a fine and receiving a few days in jail will not prevent a person from driving under the influence once they are released from jail. Drunken drivers continue to be a major safety threat on America’s roadways. Despite myriad efforts by state, federal and local governments, along with improvements in vehicle technology, about 10,000 people die every year on the nation’s roads and highways because people who have been drinking choose to drive (TEIGEN,

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

Then, a driver with a blood-concentration of 0.08% or higher and has committed a personal or property damage is criminalized.

What is one of the most evil and deadly acts? Drunk-driving? Oh no! These two words together are uncordial behaviors. The crime of driving a vehicle or operating a motorized machine while under the influence of alcohol is totally against the law of the land, but some people still won’t stop. Is there any gain in drunk-driving than loss of lives, loss of driving privileges, and property—vehicles? One-third of traffic deaths involve alcohol-impaired driving (MADD). Therefore, a behavior that involves a tiny proportion of drivers is one of the key causes of death on the roads. This is an indication that retaining the licenses of drivers involved in drunk driving is not enough to deter drunk driving because some people in this category are still driving even though their licenses have been suspended or revoked. For this reason, it is necessary to adopt more strict measures to deal with the problem. In particular, drunk driving can be prevented through the use of ignition interlock systems and sobriety checkpoints at an individual level while a school-based instructional program can help to prevent the problem at a community level.

     ?Alcohol?s effects are progressively more noticeable as the blood alcohol concentration increases. At a BAC of .02 to .05 percent the effects are almost entirely pleasurable. The drinker feels relaxed and sociable. There may also be some modest impairment of reasoning or memory and general reduction in caution. A BAC of .05 to .07 produces a state of excitement. The drinker begins to suffer from what may be a slight but nonetheless noticeable impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing. Judgement and self-control are also effected. The driver?s behavior is apt to become more aggressive. In general, the drinker feels stimulated and highly capable. In reality his or her ability to safely perform tasks such as driving that require quick reactions, concentration, and good judgement has been significantly reduced.

On average over 32% of fatal car crashes include an intoxicated pedestrian or driver, yet people drive after drinking every day. People tend to think they are fully able to drive after “couple” of drinks until they get involve in an accident, which has killed a lot of innocent people that didn’t do anything to cause an accident. Alcohol affects attentiveness and one’s ability to make quick decisions on the road, execute specific, often difficult maneuvers behind the wheel and to react to changes in the environment.

Undoubtedly, the legal limit for drinking while driving desperately must be reconsidered. Driving after consuming any amount of alcohol is negligent and hazardous. The concern of drinking and driving is a state law; therefore, the rules and laws may vary among the states. Regardless, drinking while driving is an enormous concern in all 50 states and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming any amount of alcohol should not be tolerated under any circumstances. “The amount of alcohol in the bloodstream is called Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). It is measured in milligrams percent. In most states, drinkers are presumed to be legally impaired if they have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher. This is the same as one drop of alcohol in 1,200 drops of blood. While this may seem a small amount to worry about, a blood alcohol concentration of 0.30 can cause a person to go into a coma, while a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.40 could easily kill you” (Chaves County DWI Program). A surprising statistic to most people is, on average about three drinks will put an individual over the legal limit. One drink is considered 12oz beer, 3oz of wine, and 1oz of hard liquor (Arizona Department of Public Safety). Many people get behind the wheel, after having just a few drinks, believing that they have

Some states and counties are taking a different type of approach to the problem, including putting offenders face to face with drunk driver victims and having them listen to their stories of pain and suffering because of a drunk driver. Other times they will have the drunk driver face the remaining family of someone who they killed or injured in a drunk driving accident. Some are even taking it to the street, by having the offender wear or carry a poster that states they are a drunk driver and what their crime was along city streets and highways. Each punishment is meant to personalize the pain that drinking and driving can cause others and their families, in the hopes that it might make the offender stop and think before getting behind the wheel.

If you drink and drive you can lose your driver's license and even go to jail.