drunk driving Essay Examples

Drunk Driving Essay Example

Why drinking and driving are not the best combination to make

It can be generally agreed that a person sitting behind the wheel of a car and driving to a certain location after having a couple of drinks is one of the most dangerous things that can happen. The reason is quite simple – not only the driver, but also the rest of people in traffic can be affected by the actions of a drunk driver. Even though at first this may seem like something inoffensive or unimportant, drinking and driving can have a crucial impact over people’s lives. In most cases, people who have to choose between driving and not driving after having even one beer don’t actually realize the importance of this choice, nor the consequences they may face in case they make the bad decision. “It’s impossible that one beer has such a significant impact over my reflexes or vision”, some drivers say, but the truth is they don’t actually know what drunk driving means. It is scientifically proven that alcohol can seriously alter an individual’s reflexes, vision and thinking, even though the quantity of alcohol is not incredibly high. This is something that people should be aware of the moment they have to decide whether or not to drive after drinking. No matter how confident they are in their own strengths and reflexes, alcohol will alter them whether they want it or not.

Actions taken against drunk driving

One of the actions taken by the authorities against people who drive after drinking alcohol is the constant raise of fines. While some people find this a good practice because the purpose is to discourage people from drinking and driving, others find this action a bit controversial. These people claim that higher fines won’t stop this type of drivers from making this fatal combination – drinking and driving – and that it would be a lot better if harsher actions against them, such as retaining their driving license after they made one mistake and not allowing them to drive ever again. One very good solution to reduce the number of accidents caused by drunk drivers lies in educating the society. Many people who choose to sit behind the car wheel after having even one beer don’t know the consequences alcohol can have over their brains. However, if they are told about the implications alcohol has over the way an individual reacts and behaves, those people will be more aware of their consequences and chances are less people will decide to drive after they have had a glass of wine or a beer.

What should convince you not to drive drunk

Every day you see on the TV news on car accidents caused by drunk drivers. Some of those accidents are fatal for some of the parties implied. This should also be the first thing that comes to your mind the moment you believe you can drive home after drinking alcohol. A drunk driver represents a walking danger not only for themselves, but also for the other people on the street, whether they are by car or on foot. In both cases, the drunk driver can seriously affect the lives of those people, and the result is not a good one. In case the news doesn’t represent a reason good enough not to sit behind the car wheel and drive drunk, then your close friends or family members should. Friends and family should be the first ones that should not let you get on your car after drinking alcohol. There’s this saying that “friends don’t let friends drive drunk” and it couldn’t have been said any better than this. Friends should be the first ones to take care of you in difficult moments. You may have gone through some difficult situation lately, such as a break-up after several years of marriage, the loss of a friend or a job loss. You may believe that there’s a good reason to get drunk. It’s your call after all, but make sure you don’t put the lives of other people at risk. Your suffering and your decision to get drunk should have nothing to do with driving drunk home. Remember that this is also something you should do too in case one of the people you know decides they can “safely” drive home drunk. Prevention is the best way to avoid car accidents in such situations and what’s most important, it’s probably the best solution to avoid death. It’s not enough just to know these consequences, because you also have to be aware of them and understand the bad things that could come out of not considering the risks implied by drunk driving. Leave your car in the parking area and take a taxi home, because drinking and driving are not “best friends” at all.

Final thoughts

Even though there have been taken many actions against reducing the number of car accidents caused by drunk driving, this problem will never be completely solved. People will continue to soak their suffering into drinking alcohol, because they find it comforting. However, what can be done to change the way people choose to act after having a couple of beers is to educate them, to present them the risks they expose others and themselves to when drunk driving. Showing them videos of car accidents caused by drunk drivers, of the way the brain activity changes after an individual drinks a beer or any other similar videos will definitely have an impact over them. It’s also important to educate people into being good friends and taking care of their loved ones, so that whenever a drunk driver is about to get into the car with the intention of driving it home, his or her friends intervene and try to convince the driver to renounce that crazy idea and take a taxi instead. Educated people will always make educated decisions, which is why it’s so important to make people aware of the risks they expose themselves to when they combine drinking alcohol and driving.