Drunk Driving in America.
Drunk Driving in AmericaDrinking alcohol can be traced back to the Puritans drinking in taverns, and social drinking in Old Regime Paris (Barrows 4), but drunk driving is a modern problem that endangers everyone on the road (Knox 87). Knox says that the driving ability of most people deteriorates after they consume relatively little alcohol because alcohol acts as a depressant by slowing down all mental processes (42). The law is harsh on drunk drivers if they are caught and prosecuted, but many drivers are not caught. The statistics on the number of people killed by drunk drivers are shocking and many innocent lives are lost. However, there are a few ways to protect yourself from being involved in aconfrontation with a drunk driver. It is illegal in every state to operate any motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. However, in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Weekly, it says that many states allow a person to drive as long as their blood alcohol level is
under .10 percent. In 1994 the Kansas Statutes lowered the legal limit for blood alcohol level to .08 for drivers over the age of 21, and to .02 for drivers under the age of 21. In Kansas, a person is required to submit a blood, breath, or urine test if an officer has reasonable suspicion to believe that the person is under the influence of alcohol. If a person refuses to submit a test, their driver’s license is automatically suspended (8-1001). Police have many ways to determine if a person has been drinking. Nolo says that they observe how people ...
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under .10 percent. In 1994 the Kansas Statutes lowered the legal limit for blood alcohol level to .08 for drivers over the age of 21, and to .02 for drivers under the age of 21. In Kansas, a person is required to submit a blood, breath, or urine test if an officer has reasonable suspicion to believe that the person is under the influence of alcohol. If a person refuses to submit a test, their driver’s license is automatically suspended (8-1001). Police have many ways to determine if a person has been drinking. Nolo says that they observe how people drive and look for swerving, speeding, failing to stop, or driving too slowly. After the officer pulls a person over they listen for slurred speech, smell for alcohol on a person’s breath, and look for alcohol in the vehicle. If an officer is suspicious, he will probably ask that the driver get out of the car and\perform balance and breath tests. If the driver fails any of the tests the officer will ask for a chemical test. The most common way to chemically test for alcohol consumption is with a Breathalyzer. If a person is found to be under the influence of alcohol, they will be arrested and a court date will be set (1,2).According to Knox the consequences for drunk driving are harsh, yet still thirty percent of drunk drivers arrested are repeat offenders (80). For the first DWI offense, the punishment includes a mandatory loss of license for 30 to 90 days, fines from $75 to $200, attendance at alcohol abuse classes in or out of prison, and community service. For the second DWI offence, the punishments are the same as for the first, but also include a mandatory jail sentence of 7 to 90 days, and the fines can be as much as $1000 (98). These are the punishments if anofficer pulls over a person that has been drinking. If the driver isinvolved in a wreck that kills someone, then he or she can be charged with vehicular homicide felony (99). MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) has shocking statistics aboutdrunk driving that should be an indicator as to how widespread the problem of drunk driving really is. The statistics are published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and DM&S. “An estimated 17, 274 persons died in alcohol-related traffic crashes,and about 1,058,990 were injured in the past year.” (1)It is estimated that between 1:00AM and 6:00AM on weekend mornings, onein every seven drivers is drunk. At that rate, it is not surprising that two in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. Also, in the past decade, four times as many American s died in drunk driving crashes as were killed in the Vietnam War. People who drive while intoxicated are a public health hazard to themselves and to others (1).Alcohol is the number one killer on the road says Knox, but there areways to protect yourself from this deadly killer (19). Due to public service campaigns about driving while impaired, many of us realize that drunk driving is very dangerous. Esurance website has many tips for staying safe, such as always make sure to avoid driving while impaired by using public transportation or by designating a sober driver. If you know someone has had too much to drink then make sure you take their keys away to prevent them from endangering lives. While on the road keep your eyes open for cars that are weaving or swerving, strangely stopping or showing bursts of speed, and look for obvious driver errors. If you see a suspicious car, sway as far away as possible andcall the police (1,2). Olson found that to prevent drunk drivers, police in some states set up sobriety checkpoints at various places to increase surveillance of drivers (39). Zaliskas believes that treatment for alcohol abuse and longer sentences are necessary to effectively combat drunk driving (190). “Drunk driving is the nations worst frequently committed violent crime” (Esurance, 1).While many states are pushing for tougher laws on drunk driving, it doesn’t help combat the number of drivers who never get caught for drunk driving. Those are the people endangering lives by making poor decisions. Please be safe and responsible by not driving while under the influence of alcohol.
