Verified Document

Driving Drunk Is Dangerous Term Paper

Driving Drunk Dangerous Mandatory license revocation and sentencing should be applied to all young adults who are convicted of drunk driving. In addition young adults who are found to drive drunk should be forbidden from riding in a vehicle with other young adult passengers for a period of up to one year.

Every year the number of fatalities and serious accidents that result from drunk drivers rises. There have been numerous laws enacted to combat the problem of drunk driving. None of these laws however have been directed specifically at young adults, and recent studies suggest that this population shows a growing trend toward drunk driving. Thus the aim of this paper is to argue for more severe penalties directed specifically at the young adult population, in the hopes that effective countermeasures may be established with regard to the drunk driving problem.

No one would argue that drunk driving is dangerous. Drivers who drive with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .10 or greater are more than seven times as likely to be involved in an accident, and brain functions such as time estimation, vision, judgment and the ability to brake and control speed are altered (Robin, 1991). With increasing alcohol consumption, the rate of accidents increases to almost 25 times as great (for example at a BAC of .15) (Robin, 1991).

The rate of accidents and fatalities has increased in recent years particularly among young adults aged 17-24, thus the need for harsher and more severe penalties among drivers in this age group, many of whom are too young to be drinking yet indulging regardless.

New laws are working to combat the number of drunk drivers. There should be however mandatory sentencing for young adult drunk drivers in order to reduce the number of people that are lackadaisical about driving drunk. In addition young adults between the ages of 17-24 who are caught driving drunk or riding with drunk drivers should have their license suspended for a minimum period of one year.

In times of old drunk drivers...

Many states have already enacted legislation that has banned plea bargaining, charge reductions and other legal sanctions aimed at reducing the punishment for drunk drivers (Robin, 1991:73). Studies suggest that harsher penalties are a proven method for countering the accidents and fatalities associated with drunk driving.
The number of fatalities among young people aged 17-24 is growing, suggesting that in particular sanctions among this age group should be addressed (Robin, 1991). In addition to fatalities, more and more young adults are driving with drunk drivers, even if they are not driving drunk themselves, posing increased risk of personal harm.

Research supported by the National Highway Traffic Administration shows that peer association including peer approval is strongly linked with drinking and driving as well as drunk drivers, and that drinking and driving and riding with drunk drivers is increasingly common among 10th through twelfth grade students (Shacket & Yu, 1999). Studies confirm that older students are more likely than younger students to not only drink and drive but also ride with drunk drivers (Shacket & Yu, 1999). More than 19% of college students in a study sample admitted to have driven in a vehicle by someone who had been driving under the influence (Wechsler, 1994).

Thus in addition to mandatory sentencing and license suspension, young adults convicted of drunk driving should be prevented from driving with peers or in a vehicle with passengers for a period of one year, to further drive home the message that driving under the influence is unacceptable and intolerable.

Opponents of such laws might suggest that penalties and countermeasures should focus more on education and creation of a knowledgeable young adult population (Shacket & Yu, 1999). While education is a vital part of prevention, it is not enough in and…

Sources used in this document:
References:

Grube, J.W. & Voas, R.B. Predicting underage drinking and driving behaviors. Addiction 91:1843-1857, 1996

National Highway Safety Traffic Administration. Traffic Safety Facts 1995, Report No.

DOT HS 808-471, Washington: Department of Transportation, 1996; In Shacket, R.W. & Yu, J.

Robin, G.D. "Waging the battle against drunk driving: Countermeasures, and Effectiveness." New York: Praeger Publishers, 1991.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Drunk Driving
Words: 3245 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Drunk Driving: A Review of Four Journal Articles Introduction great deal of literature has been written on drunk driving. Some of it involves underage drinking and antisocial behaviors, some involves the court system and the penalties for drunk driving, and some of it simply attempts to address the reasons and causes behind why so many people seem to think that driving drunk is acceptable behavior. In the course of the next

Drunk Driving
Words: 1071 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Paper

Drunk Driving Trends and Effects Drunk driving and driving under the influence in general is a major problem in the United States. The problem is a common cause of traffic accidents and traffic fatalities and demonstrates a pervasive legal and social issue that has yet to be adequately solved and may even be increasing in occurrence as the population spreads into larger and larger areas. (Flahardy 4) According to Flahardy statistics

Texting While Driving Speech Outline Description of
Words: 742 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Texting While Driving Speech Outline Description of the audience for your speech: The audience for this speech would likely be comprised of members of the legislature, preferably members of Congress, who could enact a law in all 50 states because only this group can create laws on a national level. The topic of this speech is the problem of texting while driving and how it negatively affects people of the U.S. In all

Drinking and Driving Cases of
Words: 4888 Length: 18 Document Type: Term Paper

A number of states follow sobriety roadblock rules while some states like Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin etc. have avoided sobriety roadblock techniques and their technique has been general patrolling. Minimum Legal Drinking Age: Minimum legal drinking age has been the topic of debate in this country. In the past minimum legal drinking age was reduced to 18, 19, or 20 in some states. With reducing the minimum

Should Using a Hand Held Cell Phone Be Banned While Driving
Words: 1162 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

cell phone use while driving. Specifically it will discuss the increased use of cell phones in the United States, and the dangers of driving while talking on a cell phone. Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. Studies show it is just as dangerous as drunk driving, and talking on a cell phone while driving should be banned nationally, not simply on a state-by-state basis. CELL PHONES SHOULD

Defense of Impair Driving
Words: 5187 Length: 15 Document Type: Essay

Driving While Impaired in Canada Tough new laws have been enacted in Canada in response to the problem of driving while impaired. In this case "impaired" means driving while intoxicated on alcohol -- being over the limit on blood alcohol (driving under the influence, DUI / driving while intoxicated, DWI) -- or on drugs. This paper describes the issue, reviews the relevant legislation and laws, reviews the history of laws pertaining

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now