Drunk Driving

Drunk driving is a precedent issue that has taken a toll on a multitude of lives nationwide. Drivers have responsibilities which include driving sober, driving for the safety of yourself and others. Drinking and driving may seem harmless, until you take the lives of innocent people due to improperly operating a vehicle. When an innocent person dies due to drunk driving, not only does it affect the person who was drunk, but it affects the families and friends of the victims.

When someone is caught drinking and driving, drastic punishment follows. Many people who drive drunk are very aware that they are intoxicated. However, most people feel as if they are capable of driving a motor vehicle no matter what their blood alcohol content is. Ignition interlocks should be installed in cars to measure alcohol on every driver’s breath before they can start their car. Drunk driving should be terminated due to the harmful risks and consequences that effect many lives, innocent and guilty.

Drunk driving takes the lives of thousands of people every year. “In 2016 there were 10,497 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drivers with BACs of .08 g/dL or higher. This totaled 28 percent of all traffic fatalities for the year. An average of 1 alcohol-impaired-driving fatality occurred every 50 minutes in 2016. Every day, 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. The estimated economic cost of all alcohol-impaired crashes (involving alcohol-impaired drivers or alcohol- impaired nonoccupants) in the United States in 2010 (the most recent year for which cost data is available) was $44 billion.

Of the traffic fatalities in 2016 among children 14 and younger, 17 percent occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. The 25 to 34-year-old age group had the highest percentage (27%) of drivers with BACs of .08 g/dL or higher in fatal crashes compared to other age groups in 2016.” (Crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov, 2019) This evidence shows that drinking and driving is very dangerous, not only to the drunk driver, but to others. In some cases, the lives of innocent people are taken due to people whose BAC is .08 or higher. .08 is the blood alcohol content which means that a person is legally intoxicated. Imagine being so intoxicated or over the legal limit that you don’t remember taking an innocent life or hurting yourself during the process.

In the United States, alcohol is a thriving industry that makes up to $16 billion a year. The American Beverage Institute represents restaurants and bars. Utah is the first state to lower the blood alcohol content level to .05 trying to prevent deaths due to drunk driving. They are hoping that other states take repressive measures to lower the number of fatalities per year due to impaired driving.

The American Beverage Institute opposes of these new laws because it’s going to cause restaurants and bars to lose money. They believe that lowering the blood alcohol content level will not save many lives. They’re more so concerned with the money that thousands of restaurants and bars will lose due to the limited amount of alcoholic beverages sold. Although drunk driving is dangerous, there are people and businesses that oppose new laws to lower the amount of deaths due to drunk driving.

Alcohol is a depressant. It hinders the function of the central nervous system. How are people content with being impaired and slowed down, physically and psychologically? Consuming alcohol makes a person vulnerable and prone to accidental injury or death. A person should never drive under the influence of alcohol. It will kill you, or someone else who doesn’t deserve it.

Why put yourself at risk? “As alcohol levels rise in a person’s system, the negative effects on the central nervous system increase, too. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Then it passes into the bloodstream where it accumulates until it is metabolized by the liver.” . The negative effects that comes from driving drunk are more likely to occur than getting home safely.

I strongly disagree with the American Beverage Institute opposing drunk driving. Although bars and restaurants will lose money, that’s far less important than people losing their lives. Businesses are so money hungry that they could care less about the lives of others. My solution to drunk driving is to have ignition interlocks installed in every car for the safety of the drivers and passengers.

An ignition interlock is a device that’s attached to the cars ignition and it requires the driver to blow to analyze their blood alcohol content level. I believe that ignition interlocks is the most effective way to eliminate drunk driving. With this solution, the rate of drunk driving crashes and fatalities will decline. Although alcoholics may oppose, everyone else who drives and have family members who drive, will feel a lot safer.

In conclusion, drinking and driving is very dangerous. Many people are affected by the decisions others decide to make once getting behind the wheel intoxicated. Drunk driving is a major issue that’s been going on for decades. A change needs to be made in order to prevent deaths and fatalities due to drunk driving. A multitude of people don’t understand or realize the dangers of drunk driving until it happens to them or someone they love. I believe that installing ignition interlocks is the best way to eliminate and prevent DUI’s and deaths due to drunk driving.

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