Preview

Driving Under Influence

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1642 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Driving Under Influence
Jennifeer Flores R.
LA 202: Creative Persuasion: The Art of Argument
Masha Rumer
3:30 pm – 6:20 pm
Brannan st.
March 23, 2009

Proposal Essay: Driving Under influence of Alcohol

Drunk drivers continue to plague American highways. They crash, they injure, and they kill. In 2000, 16,653 traffic fatalities — 40 percent of all highway deaths —involved at least one drinking driver. Every year, just in U.S.A, almost 20,000 people are killed in accidents involving people under the influence of alcohol. That means that someone is killed from alcohol-related accidents approximately every 7 hours and 29 minutes. This means that every seven and a half hours someone out there is losing a friend, a parent, a brother, a loved one. At certain points of our lives, we have seen signs on the side of a highway in memory of a victim of drinking and driving, witnessed the pain and suffering from people on the news or have read their stories on newspaper. But the reality about driving under the influence of alcohol is much worst than what we can perceive. It is true that every state has an elaborate system of laws, enforcement, courts, and punishments for drunk driving, but these systems do not work as well as they should. Arrest rates are low. Some laws allow some offenders to escape any punishment. Other offenders can avoid getting convicted for DUI through a plea bargain. Sanctions are not applied consistently. These problems are not well known because many states do not have good record systems. Drunk drivers have little fear of being stopped, arrested, convicted, and punished — so they continue to drink and drive.

This study proposes effective and practical actions to improve the drunk driving control system along with specific strategies to implement these recommendations. These actions will help prevent and minimize the many cases of drunk driving.

Through research studies and interviews done by Jones RK, JH Lacey, and CH Wiliszowski,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The states have taken some effective measures such as immediate lecense suspension, lowering the blood alcohol concentration legal level from .01 to .08 for adults and for people under age 21 to .02. Other's such as sobriety checkpoints, public education, community awareness, and media campaigns about the dangers of alcohol-impaired driving. In addition some strategies should be considered, such as those outlined during the Surgeon General's Workshop on Drunk Driving and in the national plan for injury prevention and control. Such strategies include changing the social norm to make alcohol-impaired driving socially unacceptable, limiting alcohol avilability among underaged youth, a lcohol service training for those who sell and serve alcohol, early alcohol treatment and rehabilitation programs, offering alternative transprotation programs for those of the leagal drinking age, and increasing the perception of the risk for arrest for alcohol-impaired driving. States like California have raised the penalty for misdemeanor drunk driving offenses to a maxium $1000 fine and one year in jail. In July, a state law took effect requiring twice-convicted drunk drivers to equip their cars wit h a breath analysis device that prevents them from starting their engines if they have a blood-alcohol level higher than .02%. And after Jan. 1, people under the age of 21 caught driving with a bolld-alcohol level .01% or greater will immediatley lose th eir driver's licenses for one year. In fact Ohio now allows officials to confiscate vehicles registered to drivers with at least four DUI convictions in a five-year period of those who twice allow their vehicles to be used by someone they know to be drun k or without a license. Currently the state istaking away those cars and putting them in a car crusher. Steps like these need to continue to be taken and hopefully the number of accidents will…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In an article called from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called, “Impaired Driving: Get the Facts” it states, “Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 51 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $59 billion” (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 1). The fact that so many people die every day in the United States from alcohol related accidents is absolutely ridiculous. The stories are endless. In Steve Schmadeke’s article, “Man gets 15 years in DUI accident that killed mother, son” He talks about the terrible tragedy that ended two innocent lives. Schmadeke states, “A speeding, unlicensed driver who crashed into another car on the Northwest Side, killing a mother and her teenage son and injuring three other children, was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison” (Schmadeke 1). Because 37 year old, Richard Strum decided to drive while intoxicated, he took two innocent lives and injured three others. He not only took a mother, but he also took a daughter, sister, and wife. He not only took a son, but he also took a brother, cousin, best friend, student, and ultimately someone who didn’t even have a chance at real life before it was taken away. Drunken driving accidents are far too…

    • 1760 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Drunk driving is a major conflict in our communities, states, and our nation overall. This is senseless act takes the lives of too many children and teens as well as adults-innocent people.…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Because laws differ from state to state, there is no consistent punishment for a DUI conviction. Instead, the sentence depends on whether or not the suspect pleaded guilty, BAC at the time of arrest, whether he or she is a first-time offender, if anyone was injured or property was damaged, additional charges, and if other drugs were also involved. For first time offenders, punishment can include some combination of a fine, jail time, tickets, probation, community service and a suspended driver’s license. Repeat offenders are more likely to lose their license, go to jail, have ignition interlocks placed on their car and be ordered to attend alcohol counseling. In some states, drunk drivers who are…

    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Driving under the influences (D.U.I.), which means driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or any drugs. This causes the driver to lose control of operating the vehicle correctly which puts other drivers in danger. In other states this action is called Driving while intoxicated (D.W.I.). When the driver drink too much alcohol it causes them to have blood alcohol concentration. This gives the driver a fresh red appearance in their face. Also they take blood to see how much alcohol in your blood stream.…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Although the punishments for driving under the influence are not pleasant, they are not effective enough. Laws for driving under the influence need to be tougher in The United States of America in order to decrease the amount of fatal accidents and repeat offenders. The best ways to combat these offenses are to increase fines, make the prison sentences more severe, and enforce alcohol interlocks into all vehicles. There are approximately 16,000 deaths a year in America. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving Organization, par. 3.) Clearly the consequences of driving under the influence need to be altered in order to stop these easily avoidable tragedies.…

    • 925 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rough Draft Driving

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Driving under the influence has affected many people's lives and families' .Drinking and driving is a problem in today's society, and it is a concern for anyone who drives. 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 are injured. Every…

    • 768 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    drivers ed essay paper

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Drinking and drinving is a very serious issue in the "driving world" Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.In 2010, 1 to every seven teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. All of this preventable! In 2010 about 2,700 teens in the United States aged 16–19 were killed and almost 282,000 were treated and released from emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes, Wow! In a recent year, people aged 16 to 24 were involved in 28 percent of all alcohol-related driving accidents, although they make up only 14% of the U.S. population.Young people are also over-represented in drinking driver injuries and deaths.Fortunately, driving accidents have been declining among young people, just as they have among the general population. And deaths associated with young drinking drivers (those 16 to 24 years of age) are down dramatically, having dropped 47% in a recent 15-year period.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Driving under the influence (DUI), commonly called "drunk driving," it refers to operating a motor vehicle while one's blood alcohol content is above the legal limit. Alcohol really impairs your ability to react quickly, make good judgements, and drive as well as you might normally.…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In general, most people will not get into a car with a driver that had been drinking. Unfortunately, when under the influence, it is easy for one’s inhibitions to be thrown out the window. Far too often, the next thing being thrown of the window is the passenger. A recent study called, “High-Risk Drinking in College: What We Know and What We Need to Learn,” states that approximately half of fatal car accidents involving people ages eight-teen through twenty-four are associated with drinking. Too often, people do not think about the others they are affecting while drinking. A buddy of mine that attends UNCC with me decided to drink and drive under the influence and smashed into a tree. He was sent to the hospital with many broken bones and now lives back home because he was charged with a DWI. When under the influence of alcohol it is easy to make a decision that one will regret the rest of his or her…

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Not many have thought this, problem drunk driving is really getting big. “During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, more than 50,000 people lost their lives each year on the nation’s public roads and highways, and more than half of the drivers killed had been drinking”(Jasper 17). “Drunken driving accidents can happen…

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Dui Laws

    • 1300 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The laws for DUI charges differ in each state, but they all come down to the same basics. If you are pulled over, and are found to be under the influence and your blood alcohol level checks out to be over 0.08 percent, you get charged with a DUI. You receive an on the spot 90 day license suspension, and pay a minimum 250 dollar fines. Now that already may be a turning point for some, but the numbers prove otherwise. Alcohol is a major factor in traffic accidents. The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov) estimates that there is an alcohol-related traffic fatality every 30 minutes. In 2006 alone 41 percent of all crashes were alcohol related, drunken drivers…

    • 1300 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Due to drinking and driving a significant amount of injury and deaths has occurred. Every year two million alcohol impaired car crashes occur 708,000 people are injured in those crashes. In 2014…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Drinking and Driving

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Those injured and killed in drunk driving collisions are not accident victims. The crashes caused by impaired drivers involve two choices: to drink AND to drive. The injuries and deaths sustained each year by drunk driving can be prevented. Those who choose to drive while impaired, have been informed of the dangers, however, decide to ignore the harsh facts. They will eventually end up facing injury or death to themselves or, even worse, someone else. This is a reality some choose to ignore until they are forced to live or die along with the consequences.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teen Drunk Driving

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages

    At this age group teenagers are consuming more alcohol than ever. As our generation of kids are growing too fast . One of the major issues in the U.S is Teenage Drunk Driving. Young drivers ages 16-18 make up only 15% of licensed drivers they cause 30% of alcohol related driving deaths. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for people younger than 25. Specific factors that pertain to this fatal problem are blood alcohol content (BAC), failure to wear seatbelts, and inexperienced driving. BAC makes up most of the deaths between the 3. Alcohol related traffic accidents not only cause high death rates, but they cost society 45 % billion annually in hospital costs. It also affects traffic safety, in that the amount of arrests of intoxicated drivers prevents the police from arresting other traffic violators. In 1995 more than 1.4 million people were arrested for driving under the influence, this totaled 10 percent of all arrests made in that year. Problems caused by all these factors have led to many improvements in traffic safety. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), and Remove Intoxicated Drivers (RID) are organizations trying to stop teenage drunk driving. These organizations offer support for victims of drunk drivers, as well as presenting more information on teen drunk driving. As a result of their efforts more than 2,000 state laws have been passed to reduce alcohol-impaired driving. Laws such as not being able to buy any alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 and the BAC levels cannot pass more than .10 % or .08%. With these laws they have helped the amount of drunk driving lower. Administrative License Suspension is a law that allows a police officer or other official to immediately confiscate the license of a driver whose blood alcohol content exceeds the legal limit.…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays