Drunk Driving

“Officer, I Swear to Drunk I’m Not God!”

“Accidents only happen to other people.” This is often one of several thoughts running through an intoxicated person’s mind as they get behind the wheel of their vehicle. An alcohol related crash kills someone every 30 minutes and injures someone every 2 minutes. In the United States, drunk driving (operating a motor vehicle in a physically or mentally impaired condition due to alcohol) is the leading criminal cause of death. More than 17,000 people are victims of drunk driving accidents every year in our country alone. No matter how many statistics are available, it leads back to the same problem: drunk driving. Even though the police force is “cracking down” on drunk drivers, this has not stopped thousands upon thousands of people from being injured or killed due to the stupidity of one person. My question is, why is drunk driving such an issue in the United States? Someone convicted of drunk driving can make every excuse in the book as to why he or she made that decision, but excuses are not what we want to hear. I believe drunk driving is a result of lack of education, insufficient communication with parents, and the need for harsher penalties against those that are convicted of drunk driving.

Growing up, children and teenagers are taught the consequences of drinking alcohol before they turn twenty-one, and what too much alcohol can do to a person. Teachers repeatedly discuss poor sexual decisions and the effects “blacking out” can have on an individual. However, I do not think they focus enough on the consequences of drinking and driving. School officials and parents know the chance of teenagers drinking before they turn twenty-one is very likely. Instead of attempting to smother their children, parents and guardians should be teaching responsibility about alcohol consumption. Studies have shown time and time again, attempting to teach teenagers abstinence in regards to sex, alcohol or drugs does not work. Whether...