Driving under the influence Essay Example for Free

Driving under the influence Essay How many of you have ever heard of the acronym DUI? If you havent, DUI stands for driving under the influence. It means that an individual has gotten behind the wheel of the car while having consumed alcohol. In the United States, about 30 people die each day from accidents involving drunk drivers; this means that there are 48 deaths every one minute (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). In 2010, 211 youth, ages 0-14 was killed in an accident in which the driver was alcohol impaired (Center for Disease and Control Prevention, 2013). Not only does drunk driving reflect poor judgment and cause damage, but it impairs thought processes and moral behavior and could result in fatalities. Not only is drunk driving illegal, but it can cause some real damage. The legal age to use alcohol is 21, but drinkers are obligated by law to drink responsibly. The legal alcohol limit is 0. 08% (Century Council, 2013). People who are under the influence of alcohol may have blurred vision and slowed reaction time (Impacts of Underage Drinking, 2010). They are unable to move quickly in rapidly changing situations such as hitting the brakes or slowing at a yellow light. Alcohol also makes one unable to judge car’s distance on the road. The driver cannot clearly see the position of other cars on the road. They may not be able to see road signs, or medians (Impacts of Underage Drinking, 2010). Also, drinking alcohol causes poor concentration and drowsiness (Impacts of Underage Drinking, 2010). It is easy for someone who is intoxicated to fall asleep at the wheel. Coordination while drinking is also impaired. The driver will most likely have poor hand, eye, and foot coordination (Impact of Underage Drinking, 2010). The solution to avoid drunk driving is to never get behind the wheel while intoxicated. People who have consumed alcohol can designate a driver or call a cab (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). As the old saying goes, friends never let friends drive drunk. Law enforcement can also use more checkpoints to check for intoxicated drivers (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Statistics show that people who do not drink and drive are more alert and make better decisions traffic wise. Also, as many as 1500 to 3000 lives could be saved if there were more check points to judge drunk drivers and if more laws were put in place to punish drunk drivers. Imagine if the world did not have to face the threat or reality of drunk drivers. It can happen. On roadways, drivers could make the decision not to drive drunk (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). A designated driver or a taxi cab could be a lifesaver not only for a person who is intoxicated, but for others traveling on the road (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). What if true friends really looked out for friends and did not allow them to drive drunk? Now, imagine your family, perhaps a sister, a parent, or a friend driving while intoxicated. Could you stand to see the ones you love paralyzed as a result of an alcohol related accident? What if a classmate didn’t make it to graduation because someone else decided to get under the wheel of a car while drunk? These are things that no one should have to experience, but people experience the consequences every day when drunk drivers ignore the harm that they could do. In conclusion, the smart choice is to never drink and drive. Too many lives are senselessly taken each year to automobile accidents involving drunk drivers. Too much alcohol in the body impairs vision, reaction time, thought processes, and decision making. No one has to be a victim of DUI and drunk driving. Before you make the decision to drive while drunk, think about your life and what it means to you. Think about the life of your family and friends, and those you have yet to meet. A bad choice such as drunk driving could cause you to lose out on your future. It could cause you your life. A single life lost to drunk driving is one too many. We can change that here and now. Let’s make a difference. We can do it!