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Drunk Driving
In the United States in 2013, A total of 1,149 children 14 and younger were killed in
alcohol impaired driving motor vehicle traffic crashes (Anthony, 2013). The death toll from
teenage drunk-driving accidents was 1,393 nearly four deaths every day of the year (Anthony,
2013). Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the U.S and are
responsible for More than one in three deaths of American teenagers. Of the teen drivers killed
on the road in 2006, 31 percent had been drinking, according to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (Gregory, 2006). Drunk driving is the act of operating a vehicle with a
blood alcohol level BAC that is over the legal state limit ( Gregory ,2006) . There should be
tougher penalties for drunk driving because it can kill innocent people, it can cause damage
to your vehicle and it can have a major impact on young adult lives. Driving while drunk
should not be allowed.
Drunk driving is a very important topic and not many adults take it very seriously. The
consequences of drinking and driving are Temporary impounding of your vehicle, a fine of up
to several thousand of dollars, probation, possible jail time, revocation of your driver's licence,
possibly even community service (Arnold & Smith, 2016). However, all of those consequences
are not enough because drinking and driving is still going on. Drinking and Driving is very
serious because people can lose their lives. Being under the wheel while drunk can cause the
driver to fall asleep. It could also cause blurred vision or the intoxicated person to get dizzy. In
addition, it could cause a person to lose their balance and feel disoriented and confused. All of
these side effects can cause a car accident. Drinking and Driving a car under the influence is a
crime and it's not allowed. The legal drinking age is 21, but Nearly 80 percent of high school
students have admitted to trying alcohol (Daneil, 2013). Drinking and driving is very dangerous

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because it can kill innocent people. Millions of people worldwide still drink and drive even
though they are aware of the risk. They are making a huge mistake when putting the keys in the
ignition while they are intoxicated and driving away. Not only are they putting their own life at
risk, but they are also risking the lives of those that they come across. While driving, alcohol
effects your way of thinking and driving safely. An impaired person may think that they are
driving normally, but they are not. Getting into an accident could result in loss of life for all
those involved in the accident. Therefore, drivers must protect themselves as well as others on
the roadways by not becoming another drinking while driving statistic. When driving a vehicle
sober, it can be very difficult. Therefore, adding alcohol to the mix would just put your life in
danger.
If you are found guilty of a DWI you will be charged. According to national statistics an
average 12,000 people die every year in DUI accidents and there is an average of 900,000
arrests each year ( Daniel 2013). Since this issue is so great and affects so many people, there
should be tougher penalties. However, the only way to prevent drunk driving accidents is for
offenders to make the choice themselves not to drink and drive, educating the youth including
personal family members as well as youth within your community. It is very important. They
must know the dangers of drinking and driving and the consequences that will happen if they get
stopped by the police and they figure out that you're under the influence.
Another way that we can help stop this senseless act is to volunteer with an organization's
mission to set out to end drinking and driving. This effort will help reach out to more individuals
and get the world to see the the dangers of drunk driving. Everyone must understand that alcohol,
drugs and driving do not mix together. Driving requires a persons attentiveness and ability to
make quick decisions on the road. Also, alcohol is a depressant that slows down the function of

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the central nervous system. This means that the normal brain function when impaired is delayed
and a person is unable to function normally ( Micheal Johnson 2013).
Research shows that The greater amount of alcohol consumed the more likely the person
is to be involved in a car accident or get convicted of driving under the influence of drugs and
alcohol (Michael Johnson 2013). These events can impact a persons life in ways that offenders
may not be aware of or consider. It could result in Loss of employment, prevention of
employment in certain jobs, higher insurance rates and serious financial setbacks (Michael
Johnson 2013). Furthermore, Over 90 percent of alcoholic beverages consumed by teens are
taken by those who drink heavily. In 2008, North Carolina had 423, the highest number of
drinking and driving related traffic fatalities (Mark, 2008) .
The Total of number of people convicted of drinking alcohol across all 50 states in 2008
was 11,773, in 2007 nearly 13,000 people were killed in drunk driving accidents, 245 children
died at age 14 or younger in drunk driving related crashes (Johnathan 2007). These statistics are
alarming and the main reason why something needs to be done about this issue. Under North
Carolina law, A DWI or DUI conviction will result in at least one year (Johnathan, 2007).
These penalties are not tough enough. Offenders should face at least five years for a DWI or DUI
conviction. If the laws are tougher, people will think twice about their actions and lives will be
saved.

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This graph shows the percent of how much high school students and adults drink, this
graphs proves the high drinking happens a lot in the United States and that people are getting
killed as a result. It also shows that this is the main group we need to target in order to make a
difference.
In order to catch more people and convict them, there should be more stops and
checkpoints. If a driver refuses a breath test they will automatically lose your license for a year.
Also, DWI and DUI arrest are common with over 5,000 arrest in Mecklenburg County alone
(Mark 2007). Due to the offence being common , a driver found guilty can face jail sentence,
large fines, court fees, and/or probation (Mark, 2007). Another problem Moore explains is that
Between 50 to 75 of people who has their licenses revoked due to driving under the influence
drive illegally without the license. Kids and teens who are involved with alcohol at a young age
are 7 times more likely to be involved in an alcohol related crash in their lives (Moore, 2008) .
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,719 people died in the
traffic crashes in 2013 in the United States including an estimate 10,076 people who died in
drunk driving crashes accounting for 31 of all traffic deaths that year (Johnson, 2013). Clearly,
this is a major issue affecting people in the US and around the world.
Because drunk driving can kill innocent people, cause property damage and have a great
impact on adult lives, there should be tougher penalties. In the past people were taking drunk
driving seriously. There were a lot of consequences against drunk driving. They had campaigns
and commercials to raise awareness. But today, people are not talking about this issue as much
were in the past. They are not even taking it serious. In the future, I wish for there to be ignition
locks in all cars. I wish for there to be mass media campaigns to spread the messages about the
physical dangers of driving drunk. I wish for there to be school based instructional programs to

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teach the teens to not get in the car with someone that is drinking and driving. Also, I would like
for there to be more sobriety checkpoints. I say this because it allows police to briefly stop
vehicles at specific, highly visible locations to see if the driver is impaired.