Drunk Driving: Consequences and Prevention
My dad's best friend since high school was on his way home from work when a drunk driver sped down the intersection, running a red light, and hit him from the side killing him instantly. Imagine coming home from work or school and getting a phone call saying your husband, brother, or father was hit by a drunk driver and the man who hit him fled from the scene. Drunk Driving is a huge problem in the US costing thousands of lives and billions of dollars a year. It is defined as operating a vehicle after having consumed enough alcohol to pass the legal limit. When people drink irresponsibly then decide to get behind the wheel it causes huge consequences for the driver and a tragic loss for the victim's families and friends.
Drunk driving is defined as driving a motor vehicle on a road or highway while being under the influence of alcohol. The U.S. state law charges this crime as a DWI which means driving while intoxicated or what is more commonly known as a DUI which means driving under the influence ("Driving Under the Influence"). A DUI is issued when an individual has been operating a vehicle with a blood concentration of 0.08% or higher ("Influence"). Consequences for individuals charged with a DUI could include imprisonment of the car, fines, suspended license, probation, alcoholism recovery class, and even jail time depending on if you have injured someone ("Influence"). There is also enhanced sentences depending on these factors: Your BAC was over 0.20% which is considered very high and life-threatening, had a child of 14 years old or younger with you in the car, drove recklessly or refused a sobriety test ("Driving"). Drunk Driving is the most common crime committed in the United States and costs thousands of lives each year. Different factors affect different people in different ways but on average, a 170-pound man reaches a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10% by having 4-5 drinks within the hour while a 137-pound woman by having 3 drinks in the same amount of time ("Driving"). But whether you are a man or a woman alcohol is proven to affect driving ability and the likelihood of an accident at blood levels as low as 0.02% ("Driving").The way alcohol affects people can vary from person to person depending on their body weight, gender, mood, if they are taking any prescription drugs, and so many more factors even the best drivers can become greatly impaired by alcohol to injure or kill someone on the highway ("Driving").
The U.S. minimum drinking age of 21 has been a topic of debate for decades. According to World of Health: Drunk Driving, the number of drunk related traffic accident have gone down since 1975 when they changed the legal age of buying alcohol from 18 years old to 21 years old but it is still a major factor upon most traffic accidents today ("Driving"). Different studies conducted by 3 different schools in 3 different years report that drinking and driving among teenagers have leveled off within the past 5 decades ("Driving"). Minors or people younger than 21 years old react to alcohol differently. People under 21 years become intoxicated twice as fast as their older counterparts, have more trouble knowing when to stop, and binge drinks excessive amounts ("Minimum Drinking Age"). They are more likely to experience blackouts, memory loss, and alcohol poisoning and are more likely to harm themselves or others ("Minimum"). They perform worse in school, are more violent, and more likely to develop mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts ("Minimum"). Drinking before 21 years old can interfere with their brain development. The brain's frontal lobes involve the regulations of emotion, planning, and organization. If someone drinks before their 20s, the alcohol use prevents proper brain growth and may damage brain memory ("Minimum"). Furthermore, people who drink in their teens are at a greater risk for developing alcoholism at some point in their lives, they are also at a greater risk for developing alcoholism quicker than people who started after their 20s ("Minimum"). This due to the fact that that the brain becomes accustomed to the alcohol at such a young age.
The determination of alcohol level can be an important part of an ongoing investigation. Several tests of coordination can be helpful but the determination of blood alcohol levels with a breathalyzer is the most critical part of an investigation. An initial breath test is given on the spot. The instrument uses a color reaction to detect alcohol ("The Breathalyzer").The degree of color change is related to the level of alcohol in the system. More advanced breathalyzers can show a digital reading of a person's BAC and some are small enough to fit in their pockets. There are also 2 other alcohol measuring devices called an Intoxilyzer and an Alco-Sensor ("Breathalyzer").
The most reliable way to avoid a drunk collision is to never get behind the wheel and drive in the first place but experts advise that hosts of parties offer a variety of non-alcoholic drinks at parties where alcohol is served.You should also serve food or at least light snacks to help offset the effects of alcohol. If a guest ends up drinking too much you should find someone to drive the person home. If you can't find a ride for them offer to let them spend the night at your home. If all else fails it is best to take away their keys. You could even write to your legislators asking they propose an amendment to your states law ("Preventing Drunk Driving"). Some states have lowered the legal blood alcohol content from 0.10% to 0.08%. You could encourage them to do the same thing if they have not already done so ("Preventing").
During this project of interviewing a member of my family, I learned that one stupid mistake of someones can cause your life to change dramatically and also cause huge and permanent consequences. my dad's friend didn't deserve what came to him and his family that night. It's important to me that people learn the consequences of getting behind the wheel when driving. If you decide to drink when going please make sure you drink responsibly. That means no operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. It could cost a life whether it be yours or someone else's.
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I thought this was kinda boring but whatever
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