Imagine you and your
family are driving home after eating dinner, and all of sudden from the other
lane a car is speeding and swerves and hits you. You wake up you have blood all
over you. Your whole body is aching. You realize what just happened and
nightmare becomes reality. Your family is dead. That car that hit you was a
person under the influence of alcohol and was not thinking right. Because of
this, you lost your loved ones and you yourself almost died and just think all
of this could of been avoided if that person would of not been under the while
influence driving. What is sad is that there is so many ways to prevent this
disastrous accident from happening. Instead people think they can handle to the
alcohol and are irresponsible. They not just destroy their lives, but destroy
other people’s lives to. Prevention is so easy yet seems so complicated can we
not stop the problem before it kills more?
History
It's London 1897, and
a man named George Smith, a taxi driver, is late and he is tired so he takes
out his bottle of whiskey and decides to have a little jolly ride (“A History
of Drunk Driving” 1). The alcohol starts to take effect just like he wanted it to.
He starts feeling a buzz and loses track of the world around him (1). George is
just enjoying his joyride when next thing he knows he is driving straight into
a building (1). He tries for go for his break but his reaction time is slow but
because of the alcohol in his system and in the building he goes (1). George
Smith was the first person to be arrested in for drunk driving (1). Smith
pleaded guilty to his charge and was sentenced to pay 25 shillings (1).
Not long after Smithś
car crash, New York in 1910 became the first state to have drunk driving
laws (“Drunk Driving History 101” 1). But the first drunk driving laws did not
state at what level of alcohol is considered illegal (1). The law stated that
the driver just couldn't drive while intoxicated, but since it didn't indicate
what level it was hard to determine what was considered drunk driving (1). They
not only did not have a set alcohol level, they also did not have anything to
measure the amount of alcohol in someone's system (1). In order to make drivers
in United States safe the first task committee safer sat down and started to
study at what BAC level would someone be considered intoxicated (1). They
decided to that anybody with a BAC 0.15 percent or higher is considered drunk
and anybody lower than 0.15 percent in not intoxicated (1).
The next obstacle to
overcome was measuring the amount of alcohol in someones body (1). A professor
at Indiana University decided to take on this challenge of measuring a personś
blood alcohol concentration(1). In 1938, he created the ¨ Drunk-O-Meter¨, the
first breathalyzer (1). What the ¨Drunk-O-Meter” does is the person will blow
in a balloon is released into a chemical solution, and if the solution changes
color then the he has alcohol on their breath (1).
In 1954, Indiana
Harger colleague Robert Broakdein made an updated version of his collegue
breathyler that has been improved, but it is still used today (1). In the
1970’s Craig D. Lalonde invented the first ignition interlock (1). The reason
he built it was because a drunk driver killed his father and three-year old
brother (1). He named the interlock “Breath Interlock Device” (1). In the 70’s
most people did not understand the dangers of drunk driving, so the police had
to get stricter on the laws (1). In the 80’s Mothers against Drunk Driving was
founded by Candy Lightner (1). Fast Forward to 2018, drinking and driving laws
are stricter, consequences are worse, and none is treated kindly (1).
Breathalyzers and ignition interlocks have became more evolved and give more
accurate results (1). People today are still on a constant battle today against
drinking and driving, but as you can see from the history we have come a long
way since 1897(1).
Effects on Society
Driving under the
influence of alcohol is sadly caused by teenagers the most (“Facts About
Teenagers Driving Under the Influence”1). Teens, because of underage drinking
and because they are not fully mature, they do not see the consequences for
driving drunk untill it's too late (1). Teens when they get their driver’s
licenses they see it as a new found freedom and do not see all the
responsibilities that driving comes with (1). Teens think of driving as a way
to show their independence and invincibility (1).
Many of the reasons
teens drink and drive is due to peer pressure and other outside forces (1).
Teenagers also do not realize what a low tolerance for alcohol they have, which
is another dangerous factor that causes fatal crashes for teens (1) . For drunk
driving accidents, teenagers make up forty percent of alcohol related crashes
(Teenage Drinking and Driving Facts”1). Teenage drinking also kills about
eighteen people each day (1). Drinking as a teenager makes them have a higher
risk fro crashes (1). About sixty percent of all teen deaths are from drinking
and driving (1). Teens might be less likely to drive when they are under the
influence of alcohol than adults, but their risk for an accident when they do
is greater (“Teenage Drinking and Driving”1). This is due because how
inexperienced teens are at drinking and teens are more likely to engage risk
taking behavior when they are drinking(1). Teenagers, especially while drinking
and driving, overestimate their driving ability thinking they are okay when in
reality they are really not (1). Their taking risk behavior, their inexperience
in driving, and alcohol in their system it's a disaster waiting to happen (1).
Teens also think they can handle as much alcohol as adults do, but they can not
(1). Teens are way more affected by alcohol than adults and even a small amount
of alcohol in their systems makes them at higher risks for accidents (1).
For an everyday
citizen drinking and driving is a serious crime (“Drinking and Driving -
Effects of Drinking Alcohol”1). Drinking and driving can be referred to in two
different ways an ( drinking under the influence) DUI or ( drinking while
intoxicated) DWI (1). Both DUI and DWI involve a vehicle and a BAC level of at
least 0.08 percent (1). The group the most at risk of consumption of alcohol
while driving is citizen’s who are struggling with an alcohol disorder (1).
These are people that drink alcohol in a short period of time. This is
dangerous because it takes about thirty minutes to two hours for blood to go
into your bloodstream (1). Alcohol abuse is a serious thing and many struggle
with it (1).
Any alcohol is
dangerous to have in your system but a lot puts you more at risk for causing an
accident(1). Jimmy Fallon once said “This is interesting. Researchers
have found that people who drive drunk are more dangerous on the road than
drivers who are high on marijuana”.The reason is because alcohol can affect your reaction time which
can increase a chance to cause an accident (1). Some other ways alcohol can
affect someone is: lack of coordination, reduce concentration, decrease vision,
and inhibit judgment (1). These are reasons alcohol is so dangerous to have in
your system while you drive(1). In the United States, alone almost every fifty
minutes someone dies from someone under the influence of alcohol (“Drunk
Driving” 1). One in three traffic deaths are from drunk driving. Drunk driving
is also twenty-eight percent of car crash fatalities in the United States (1).
The annual cost of drunk driving accident is forty-four billion dollars (1).
These statics show just how dangerous drunk driving is and this is the reason
there are laws against drinking and driving.
Federal regulation
say that a DWI or DUI must have a BAC level of 0.08 percent or higher and a
motor vehicle (“Drinking and Driving - Effects of Drinking Alcohol”1). Each
state handles their DWI charges differently whether its with fines, jail time,
suspended license, or even community service (1). Because of how serious the
threat drinking and driving is, the states are very serious about the legal
charges for these crimes and most have serious tolerance laws aimed at
adolescents because drinking and driving is illegal (1). Getting a DWI or DUI
can affect a citizen not just by getting fined or jail time but can also hurt
their family, cost employment opportunities, they could have financial issues,
or high insurance rates (1).
Examples
Drinking and driving
is no fun and games and can be life shattering. An example of that is story
about two best friends: one dead and one charged for murder due to the
consumption of alcohol while driving (Goldberg 1). Jessica Rasdall and Laura
Gorman were best friends since their kinder days and did everything together
(1). They were the life of the party, always going out and dancing (1).But, the
fun loving times came to a tragic stop on one early one morning in February,
2006 (1). After having a few drinks at a club, Rasdal took the wheel, and
Gorman in the passenger seat right next to her having a good ole time. To bad
they did not know their bad mistake of drinking and driving will result in one
of their deaths in an hour or less from when they leave the club (1). Rasdal
driving one mile from Laura's dorm gets on the Interstate 275 of Tampa,
Florida, down a hill and into a broad tree (1). Laura dies, and Rasdal, her
best friend, is charged with murder (1). The wreck was so bad they had to use
the jawś of life to get them both out (1). Now Jessica Rasdall has to not just
spend ten to maybe fifteen years in prison, but has to live with the fact that
she killed her best friend (1).
Another example of a
sad and dangerous drunk driving accident happened on the August of 2016 in San
Antonio, Texas (Parker 1). A Texas State University student, Shana Elliott, who
is a twenty-one public relations and mass communications senior, was having
having a fun day at the river drinking and floating around (1). On her way back
from the river, she hits Bryan Guerrero and his wife pregnant wife, Kristen
Guerrero, who were driving the opposite way (1). That day Bryan Guerrero died,
and his wife and baby sent to the hospital in serious condition (1). Police
said the unborn child would most likely succumb to the injuries sustained in
the collision (1). When the police came to question Shana she had red glassy
eyes and a strong odor of alcohol in her breath (1). She admitted to drinking
and driving and is charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter,
second-degree felonies, and an intoxication assault charge( a third degree
felony) (1). Due to a poor decision and reckless behavior of a twenty-one year
old, someone lost their husband, their wife, and baby are in serious condition
all because on drinking and driving (1).
In my youth, their were many stories told to
me about the dangers of drinking and driving, mostly about how it can take
someone’s life. My mom would often spot people on the roads swerving at night
and to me to watch out for them. It was common sense to know about drinking and
driving and how dangerous it was. An aftermath of a drunk driving incident was
viewed one spring break in Galveston, Texas, in my elementary years. We were
eating dinner at the time in our beach house that we rented for Spring Break.
When suddenly we hear a loud boom and tires swerving. My parents look out the
window and say there is a crash right in front of us, our house was right by
the road. Nobody had to ask any questions about the accident because it was
written all over their faces.
My parents did not
want to me to see so they sent me to my room with my little brother. We could
hear people and cops start to gather around the crash. My parents came up and
say it is a drunk driving accident and people died. About and hour goes by and
my parents allow me to come outside to see the crash; both cars are ruined and
there is debris from the cars everywhere on the street it seemed. All a around
everyone from the streets across from us and from homes next us were watching
the tragedy that had unfolded it was heartbreaking. The accident was a very
depressing and heartbreaking thing. My mom told me that night that is why she
is always told us that driving is such a big responsibility.The accident is
often on my mind due to the fact of how powerful and scary that drinking and
driving accident was.
Drinking and driving is a very scary and fatal
thing. It can come out of nowhere and destroy peoples and their families lives.
Most people that get hit it just happens out of nowhere and there is no way to
prepare yourself for the collision. What sad is that drinking and driving is
such a dangerous thing and people talk about how dangerous it is but it still
happens in our everyday life because people are careless.
Solution
This epidemic is a
serious problem with today's generation. It is not that drunk driving is some
disease that nobody can cure or something people can not stop doing. Drunk
driving is simply a “choice” that people make. Demetri Martin once said
¨A drunk driver is very dangerous. So is a drunk backseat driver if he's
persuasive¨ (¨Wise¨). Sometimes, people are not in their right minds, but most
of the time people do have the sense to do know if it is not safe to drink and
drive. Even though most people know the danger, they still consume alcohol and
then drive. The good thing though is that drunk driving is totally preventable,
and due to many commercials and ads many people know about how dangerous drunk
driving is (¨Motor¨). Media has such a big impact on the world and due to that
many people have got the message about how harmful drunk driving is (1).
In many mass media campaigns, they have spread awareness about drunk
driving and the seriousness of it (¨Motor¨). They spread messages about the
physical dangers and legal consequences that co-inside with drinking and
driving (1). Media, through commercial and ads, use persuasion and
encouragement to prevent people from drinking and driving (1). Campaigns are
one of the most effective strategies of preventing people from drinking and
driving (1).
There are many types of solutions to drunk
driving and the simplest and best solution is to not drink and drive. If you
want to drink then find a designated driver that you know will not drink and
have him drive you back home (¨Severe¨). In 1983 the Ad-Council did a ad
about titled ¨Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk¨ about taking your friends
home when they drink (¨Drunk¨ 1). Due to technology, you can get an app on your
phone called Uber, in which you can pay and give the car service your address
and it will take you home (1). Also, if you know someone is about to drive and
clearly they have been drinking, then take away his keys and find him a ride
home (1). If either finding someone a ride or finding a designated driver for
yourself so you can stay off the road is probably the best and easiest way to
prevent drinking and driving (1).
Other prevention
methods that can be taken is stricter drinking and driving laws. If you
increase penalties for drinking and driving, people will become more fearful of
it (Hanson 1). Some penalties that may be enforced are stricter DWI courts,
longer license suspension or revocation, and vehicle impoundment or
mobilization (¨Hanson pg1¨). Enforcing these rules can put more fear and
realization into to people (1). Jesse
Ventura said¨There's no question that we need
tougher drunk-driving laws for repeat offenders. We need to take a lesson from
European countries where driving isn't a right but a privilege¨ (¨Top¨ 1).
Providing knowledge of the seriousness of drinking and driving can also be of
great help (1). A good way to provide knowledge is by doing mandatory alcohol
education(1). These prevention methods are more serious, but are needed to be
enforced due the seriousness of this epidemic (1).
Camus
Albert
Camus once said “You will never be happy if you continue to search for what
happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning
of life” (¨Albert¨ 1). There are three ways to overcome absurd philosophical
suicide, physical suicide, or acceptance (¨TheRuggedPyrrhus¨). The reason Camus
does not think that suicide is the right way is because he believes that
suicide it just an attempt to escape absurdity (1). The
only way to be truly happy and free is to accept the absurd then you will be
truly happy (1).
Camus would think drinking and driving is not
the correct way of trying to feel free and find happiness. Camus once said ¨A
man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world¨ (¨Albert¨1). He
would think that people who drink and drive are ridiculous and destructive.
Albert Camus even though he would think that drinking and driving is
destructive and would not like the government issuing stricter DUI laws. The
reason Camus wouldn't like stronger penalties is because he does not like the
government and he would think that they were taking away some of our freedom
(¨TheRuggedPyrrhus¨). Camus would find it interesting and creative that
someone made an app for transportation and would think that it wonderful of how
far technology has come.
Conclusion
Drinking
and driving is one of the things that makes the luxury of driving so dangerous
and terrifying. It is caused by reckless acts and changes peopleś lives for the
worst. Drinking and driving is one of the leading cause of death in our world,
even though there are so many simple and easy ways to fix it. It seems as
though people are to busy trying to have fun and drink that they forget the
responsibility they were given when the state issued their license and when
they were handed their keys to their car. Driving isnt just something new you
get to try when get older or just something you get to use to take you around
faster, but it is a new responsibility.People have made big efforts in trying
to prevent this catrisofy like: uber, infomercials, websites, and speeches.
Prevention is easy and simple, the complex part is the person's choice to get
in the or not to, because no matter what anybody says or what new technology
what it comes down to at the end of the night it if that person decided to take
the reckless or safe path.
Works Cited
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