The Effects Of Driving Intoxicated

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Impacts of intoxicated driving

Drunk driving remains one of the prominent issues in America reflected through an increased number of incidents taking place in the country. The main argument emphasizes adopting laws and taking adequate measures that could prevent the society from repercussions of drunk driving. The facts provided by the US Department of Transportation depicts that people on roads are less safe due to drunk driving. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identifies drunk driving as a confirmed cause of road accidents. The agency reported in 2009 that at least 30 people die due to alcohol collisions each day that constitutes to yearly deaths of 11,000 people CITATION Wil10 \l 1033 (Rauch, Zador, Ahlin, Howard, Frissell, & G. Doug Duncan, 2010). Severity of the issue exhibits the need to control the issue and remove drunk driving.

Drunk driving involves adverse impacts for the drivers. Even a small amount of alcohol during driving leads to difficult and unexpected situations. The drivers who the consumer of alcohol are unable to focus on driving and the chances of accidents are high. To avoid the harmful effects of driving the state has made intoxicated driving illegal. However, citizens of America are still violating laws and drive when they are drunk. The evidence suggests that the risks of accidents are high when the drivers have consumed alcohol. safe driving demands full concentration and attention. But a drunk driver lacks the ability to pay full attention during driving that leads to an increased likelihood of accidents. The time for reacting is also slow in case of drunk drivers. This increases the likelihood of accidents. Facts indicate that “in 2016 there were 10,497 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, an average of 1 alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 50 minutes” CITATION NHT16 \l 1033 (NHTSA, 2016). The central cause is the delayed response of the drivers.

Lack of coordination is another harmful impact of intoxicated driving. Intoxication affects the motor skills of the drivers that undermine their ability to using eyes, hands and foot in a coordinated manner. This creates difficulty to respond to any threatening event. Decreased vision is also a common problem associated with intoxicated driving. Excessive consumption of alcohol blurs one’s vision as an individual is unable to maintain eye control. Impaired vision impacts one’s ability to assess the distance between the car and other vehicles. This again increases the probability of accidents.

Due to threats associated with intoxicated driving, it is crucial to adopt adequate measures. Designated driver services is another solution that eliminates the risks of drunk driving. The claim suggests that the state must ban drunk driving and after identification of such drivers they must be offered designated driver programs. The alternative to drunk driving is a designated driver service. The claim states, "people who identified themselves as designated drivers and ensured that they abstained from alcohol use and drove their parties from the drinking establishment” CITATION Sus05 \l 1033 (Ditter, Elder, Shults, & Sleet, 2005). The facts support the claim that designated driving minimizes the risks of alcohol-impaired driving. The adoption of the strategy provides an efficient solution against road accidents and fatalities. The claim states, “empirical evidence suggesting that many so-called first-time alcohol-impaired drivers are problem drinkers and are unlikely to be reformed through educational interventions” CITATION Wil10 \l 1033 (Rauch, Zador, Ahlin, Howard, Frissell, & G. Doug Duncan, 2010).

The common problems linked with intoxicated driving include slow response, lack of coordination, vision impairment and error in judgment. All these factors have adverse impacts on one’s ability to drive accurately. Increased likelihood of accidents is also a dominant cause of intoxicated driving.

References

Ditter, S. M., Elder, R. W., Shults, R. A., & Sleet, D. A. (2005). Effectiveness of Designated Driver Programs for Reducing Alcohol-Impaired Driving. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28 (5).

NHTSA. (2016). Alcohol-Impaired Driving. Retrieved 04 01, 2018, from https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812450

Rauch, W. J., Zador, P. L., Ahlin, E. M., Howard, J. M., Frissell, K. C., & G. Doug Duncan. (2010). Risk of Alcohol-Impaired Driving Recidivism Among First Offenders and Multiple Offenders. Am J Public Health, 100 (5), 919–924.