Essay on Drunk Driving: Why Do People Risk It Despite the Dangers?

Being that there has been a lot of efforts which are put in place by the law enforcement offices and other organizations to help in removing drunk drivers from the roads, it is still an issue that many people still get involved in the accident as a result of a drunk driving in their lifetime throughout (Strand & Garr, 132). Therefore, why is it that many people still continue to drink and drive and yet they know the dangers and the expenses of the consequences?

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Some of the individuals who are caught driving while drunk claim that they normally have plans to drink and drive when they are setting out for their evening (Strand & Garr, 135) Rather, driving while drunk normally comes out because of inebriated making of decisions which are combined poorly because individuals think that other options are lacking.

Like for instance, when a one is planning to go out for a party or to the bar, normally individuals assume that they will be okay and capable of driving after the party or from the bar. However, maybe there will be someone to drive and this makes them not to bother planning for other alternative transport means back home. By the time they finish drinking, they realize that everyone is very drunk and then they start making a decision on whether or not to drive by themselves. It is unfortunate that at such a moment, people usually tend to make decisions which are wrong and then decide to drive while drunk instead of calling even a friend to come and pick them.

More research which was conducted by the National Public Services Research Institute (NPSRI) gave out some other reasons why individuals drink and drive (Bartell, McMurray, & ImObersteg 32). The reasons are categorized below:

• Personal influences - an individual might want to drive even when drunk.
• Social environment - friends normally influence others to drink more.
• An individual finding himself in occasions where it is required of him to drink.
• The behavior which is normal - it might be something normal for an individual to drink and drive.
• In situations where drinking plans were pre-arranged.
• Emotional influence - an individual might develop an emotion of wanting to drink or to get drunk.
• Economic situations - the economy normally influences an individual to go out with friends and get drunk.

There are some initiatives that can be employed to help in curbing the problem of drinking and driving. The strategies are:

Implementing drunk driving laws.

The law is meant to stop drivers from driving when there is some amount of alcohol in the there system which is measurable. Thus the above laws should take seriously to help to solve the problem of driving while drunk and this will help to reduce the occurrence of the accident as a result of drunk driving.

Screening of alcohol and brief interventions.

The strategy of brief interventions and screening of alcohol takes an opportunity of moments which are teachable so that people at risk of the alcohol problems can be identified and provide them with the treatment as required.

Instructional programs are school-based.

The programs are effective at educating teens to avoid riding with drunk drivers. The program is used to help in reducing drunk driving and other crashes which are related to drunk driving.

The suspension laws.

There are these suspension laws which should be implemented so that any driver who will be found driving while drunk, his license is taken away by the police for a minimum period of 90 days (Bartell, McMurray, & ImObersteg 45)

Campaigns in the mass media.

Such campaigns help in spreading information about the legal consequences and the dangers of drunk driving. The message is intended to persuade individuals to avoid driving when drunk and to urge them to encourage their fellows from doing so.

The sobriety checkpoints.

It allows the police officer to stop the vehicle briefly at some strategic place in order to see if the driver is drunk. And in some cases, the police might test the breath of a driver if he is suspected of being drunk and driving.

Works Cited

Bartell, Donald J., Mary Catherine McMurray, and Anne D. ImObersteg. Attacking and defending drunk driving tests. LexisNexis, 2018.

Strand, George C., and Michael S. Garr. "Driving under the influence." The generality of deviance. Routledge, 2018. 131-148.