Drunk Driving by Derek Thai

Drunk Driving 

By Derek Thai

According to Intoxalock, alcohol-related traffic crashes don't only affect the impaired driver. One third of alcohol-involve traffic fatalities are passengers, occupants in other vehicles or pedestrians. This is exactly what fears me, the fact that you cannot trust another person on the road and their driving let alone being under the influence. MADD statistics state that everyday in America, another 27 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes. The same cases have happened around my neighborhood too many times just a few streets away and it is a scary thought  to think that it can happen at any moment to me or someone I know.


Drunk driving is important me because there have been so many DUI accidents which have occurred around my home. My family, friends, myself, and everyone I know are on the road at some point so I feel that this issue needs to be addressed.  I'm always cautious when it comes to driving on the road. There are so many accidents that don't have anything to do with being under the influence. I can only imagine how many accidents involve DUI's. As a college student I do attend parties and go to drink occasionally so I think there's a greater chance that someone around me is committing a DUI.  From personal experience, I've witnessed people under the influence and they get away with it. It blows my mind how many people do it and I feel that something must be done.


I believe that promoting it more and having more officers on duty to keep check of those under the influence could decrease the number of accidents. Although it would be costly, have more check points on weekdays and weekends.  It might prevent accidents and costs. Of course, it would be easier for everyone to simply stop drinking and driving and stop to think about how much danger it can cause.



Drunk Driving Facts:
- 10,076 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in 2013 - 1 every 53 minutes.

- 9,967 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in 2014.

- Drunk driving costs the United States $199 billion a year. 

- Each day, people drive drunk almost 300,000 times, but fewer than 4,000 are arrested.

- Every 90 seconds a person is injured in a drunk driving crash. 

- An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before first arrest.




Members of the community that are against drunk driving:

Sources:
Ignition interlock and drunk driving statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from https://www.intoxalock.com/ignition-interlock-devices/statistics

MADD - Drunk Driving Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/about/drunk-driving-statistics.html