Driving Under the Influence by Mayra Montalvo

                                            
Research
      Driving isn’t a right but a privilege. Is a saying I’m sure most of you have once heard. Did you know, that every 51 minutes there is one death related to drunk drivers? That makes 28 people a day in the United States, to die in alcohol-related vehicle crashes claims the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s nearly 11 thousand deaths a year. Doesn’t seem as many deaths considering that there’s nearly 7.4 billion people in the world and nearly 326 million people in the U.S alone. However, every single death could have been 100% preventable and that’s what bothers me the most. Among the 28 deaths a day, innocent victims and children are affected by the drunk driver’s action. Just this month, a teen around my age was run over by a drunk driver. He was struck two blocks away from my home as he was riding his bike back home. That could have been prevented if the driver would have known better.

        Driving under the influence continues to be the #1 cause of death on our highways and the #1 leading cause of death for teens in car crashes claims the organization that goes by as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). As of today, Americans spend more time on the road than nearly anywhere else in the world claims the organization MADD. It has been statistically proven by MADD, that 2 out of 3 people will be impacted by a drunk driving crash in their lifetime. And I hope we are never affected by this or caused by us. Among students aged 16 to 20, were surveyed by the CDD and claimed to have driven a vehicle one or more times during the past 30 days while they had been consuming alcohol. Young drivers are 17 times more likely to die in a fatal car crash than when they have not been drinking. Regardless the age of the driver, the choice to drive under the influence, leaves a devastating impact on victims and their loved ones.

            The causes of driving under the influence vary by person but all lead to their selfish choice of deciding to drive under the influence. There are no excuses for driving intoxicated because there are several ways of not having to. Alcohol impairs your senses like your vision and hearing which then results in decreased muscle coordination and slower reaction times states the website Serious Accidents.  So why drive under the influence and risk your life and the lives of others? If you, a friend or loved one is intoxicated there should be no reason to drive under the influence regardless of how many sips or drinks they’ve had. There are ways to prevent an accident and you can be of help too.
Personal

This social issue directly affects me because statistically proven I could someday in my lifetime be a victim of a drunk driver car accident. As a driver, I drive on a day to day bases to my local supermarket, school, and fast food restaurants and I could instantly be struck by a drunk driver. Although I am not a victim of a drunk driver accident, I have two close friends who are. They chose to be a part of this project to share their story and share the awareness of safe driving. I chose this issue because it affects me being a driver and knowing the dangers of driving, drunk drivers is another danger added to the risks of driving. In an instant, I could be struck by a drunk driver any day, any occasion and I wouldn’t be able to know if a driver driving by me or near me is intoxicated. My life and the life of others could end because of the actions of a driver driving under the influence, and it should be taken more seriously.

People It Affected

 Vanessa Bonilla on the left and Erika Celaya on the right were struck by a drunk driver earlier this year, as they were on there way to the movies. Vanessa and Erika are thankful they weren't harmed by the accident but hope the driver doesn't drive under the influence again. Vanessa's car wasn't too damaged but this life-changing experience changed her perspective. She now drives in fear of getting in a more serious car accident.

References:

Drunk Driving is a Top Cause of Auto Accidents. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2017, from https://seriousaccidents.com/legal-advice/top-causes-of-car-accidents/drunk-driving-dui/

Motor Vehicle Safety. (2017, June 16). Retrieved November 7, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html

The Problem. (n.d.). Retrieved November 7, 2017, from https://www.madd.org/the-problem/

Vital Signs. (2012, October 02). Retrieved November 7, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/teendrinkinganddriving/index.html