dangers of drinking and driving essay

Essay on Drinking And Driving

Students are often asked to write an essay on Drinking And Driving in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Drinking And Driving

What is drinking and driving.

Drinking and driving means operating a vehicle after having alcohol. Alcohol makes it hard to think clearly and react quickly, which is very important when driving.

Why is it Dangerous?

Alcohol can blur your vision and make you feel dizzy. This can lead to wrong decisions on the road, causing crashes that may hurt you and others.

Laws are strict against drinking and driving. If caught, you can face big fines, lose your driving license, or even go to jail.

Staying Safe

To stay safe, never drive after drinking. Plan ahead and choose a designated driver or use a taxi or ride service.

250 Words Essay on Drinking And Driving

The dangers.

When people drink and drive, they can hurt themselves and others. Cars can crash, and people can get very hurt or even die. It is against the law to drink and drive because it is so dangerous. The police can take away the driver’s license, fine them a lot of money, or put them in jail.

How Alcohol Affects Driving

Alcohol can make you feel dizzy, sleepy, and not able to make good choices. It can also make it hard to see and hear well. These things are very important when driving. So, alcohol makes it hard to drive safely.

To stay safe, do not drive if you have been drinking. You can ask a friend who has not been drinking to drive you home. You can also use a taxi or a ride service. If you think someone is going to drive after drinking, tell an adult. You could save lives by doing this.

Drinking and driving is a big problem. It is not safe for anyone. Always remember, if you drink, do not drive. And if you see someone trying to drive after drinking, help them make a better choice. This way, we can all stay safe on the roads.

500 Words Essay on Drinking And Driving

Drinking and driving is when a person drinks alcohol and then uses a car or another vehicle. Alcohol is a drink that can make you feel dizzy and not think clearly. When people drink too much, they should not drive because it is very dangerous. Driving needs a clear mind, but alcohol makes it hard to pay attention and react quickly.

The Dangers of Drinking and Driving

Laws against drinking and driving.

Many places have strict rules to stop people from drinking and driving. These rules say how much alcohol a person can have in their body if they want to drive. The police can check drivers with a special tool that measures alcohol. If the tool shows the driver has too much alcohol, the driver can get in big trouble, like paying a lot of money or going to jail.

Alcohol can make you feel sleepy and make it hard to see clearly. It can also make you less alert and slow down how fast you make decisions. When driving, you need to do many things at once, like steering the wheel, pressing the pedals, and watching the road. Alcohol makes doing all these things at once very hard.

What Can We Do?

In conclusion, drinking and driving is a big problem that can cause accidents and hurt people. It is important to follow the law and make smart choices to keep everyone safe on the road. Remember, when you choose to not drink and drive, you are helping to protect yourself and others. Always think before you act and choose safety first.

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Drunk Driving Essay: Effects, Dangers, and Prevention of Drinking and Driving

Drinking and driving essay: abstract, drunk driving essay: introduction.

• Effects of Drinking and Driving
• Dangers of Drinking and Driving

Essay on Drunk Driving: How to Stop the Issue

Drunk driving essay: conclusion.

Driving under the influence of alcohol is a common practice in all countries where alcohol consumption is legal. This behavior has emerged as an important issue affecting road safety over the past few decades. This free drinking and driving essay discusses the issue of drunk driving and its effects. It begins by highlighting how drinking impairs the driver, therefore making him unfit to drive. Further, this “Dangers of Drinking and Driving” essay shows how drink driving leads to road accidents that may result in fatalities. It also has a negative economic impact on the individual and the country as a whole. The drunk driving essay proposes public awareness campaigns and clear laws and penalties for drunk driving as solutions to the problem of driving under the influence.

Driving under the influence of alcohol has emerged as an important issue affecting road safety over the past few decades. Approximately one of our every five driver in the US involved in a fatal accident is found to have some alcohol concentration in his/her blood (Yadav & Miwako, 2015). In spite of the obvious danger that drink-driving poses, people continue to engage in the dangerous habit of drinking while under the influence.

Wolff (2013) notes that drink-drivers continue to drive even when they have very high Blood Alcohol Concentration levels. This behavior exposes more people to the risks associated with a DUI. This paper will discuss the issue of driving under the influence of alcohol with a focus on the effects of alcohol on the driver, the effects of drink-driving and how drink-driving can be stopped.

Effects of Drinking and Driving: Essay Body

Alcohol is an enjoyable substance that serves an important role in the society. People use it for enjoyment purposes and it is often consumed to help in relaxation and in celebrations. However, this substance has many toxic effects on the consumer. It might lead to intoxication and reduce the ability of an individual to reason properly. The WHO (2015) documents that alcohol leads to impairment by either depressing or stimulating the brain. The negative effects of alcohol on a driver increase with the increased consumption of alcohol. Wolff (2013) reports that there is “a clear relationship between increasing alcohol consumption and risk of a road traffic accident” (p.42). This has some significant implications for a driver.

Alcohol consumption can cause the person to make poor judgment on various road related issues such as sticking to the speed limit. Sonja (2006) reveals that most of the individuals charged with drink driving are not even aware that their BAC is above the legally accepted level.

They feel sober and are unaware that the alcohol will have an adverse effect on their driving. Alcohol also increases the reaction time of the driver causing him to take more time to engage in various driving operations such as braking or turning to avoid hitting an object. The visual sharpness of the driver is also decreased and his/her vision is poorer than that of drivers who have not consumed alcohol. Drunk drivers often drive at high speeds due to the poor judgment caused by alcohol and they are likely to run off the road or crash into fixed roadside objects.

Dangers of Drinking and Driving: Essay Body

The most devastating effect of driving under the influence of alcohol is that it increases the risk of being involved in a fatal car crash. A report by the World Health Organization (2015) acknowledges that driving while drunk is an important factor influencing the risk of a road traffic crash in all countries that allow alcohol consumption. People who drive while under the influence of alcohol have a significantly higher risk of being involved in a road accident than sober drivers. Research indicates that in developed countries, including the US, over 20% of drivers who die in car crashes have excess alcohol in their blood (WHO, 2015). Drinking while under the influence has a worse impact on the road safety of low-income and middle-income countries. Yadav and Miwako (2015) document that 33-69% of fatally injured drivers in these countries have some alcohol content in their blood.

The accidents caused by drivers who were on the road while under the influence of alcohol also have an economic impact. The loss of life causes the country to lose valuable taxpayers. In case a person survives the crash, high medical costs might be incurred. The crashes also lead to the damage of property, including the vehicle involved in the accident. The WHO (2015) estimates that drink-driving crashes in the US cost the country $1.1 billion each year. Countries therefore incur significant financial losses due to drunk driving.

Considering the significant negative effect of driving while under the influence of alcohol, it would be important to come up with ways to reduce incidents of driving under the influence. Drunk driving can be reduced by increasing public awareness on the dangers of this habit. In most societies, alcohol consumption is a socially acceptable behavior. Campaign efforts should be engaged in to show the public why drinking under the influence is an anti-social behavior that should be avoided. Public awareness can be raised using mass media campaigns. According to Yadav and Miwako (2015), media campaign that emphasized the consequences of alcohol-induced driving led to a significant decrease in the number of alcohol-related road accident.

The government should come up with laws that clearly define what level of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is illegal and the penalties to be imposed on drivers who are drunk. Most drunk drivers engage in this behavior since the consequences are not severe enough to serve as a deterrent (Kimler & Humphreys, 2013). Law enforcement officers should be vigilant in identifying and arresting individuals engaged in drunk driving.

At the same time, the legal system should be swift to enforce penalties on people charged with DUI. In addition to this, police should maintain high visibility enforcement of drink-driving laws to deter offenders. Research by Sonja (2006) indicated that when drivers perceived the chance of being stopped by the police and charged for DUI as being very small, they were likely to continue driving while under the influence. However, when the drivers are aware that the law enforcement system is strict and dedicated to imposing heavy penalties for drunk driving, they are less likely to engage in this activity.

Implementing these measures will lead to a decrease in the number of people driving under the influence. This will have a positive impact on road safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) declares that the deaths caused by drink driving are preventable. By keeping drunk drivers off the roads, these deaths can be stopped and the safety of millions guaranteed annually.

This paper set out to discuss driving under the influence of alcohol, its effects and how this risky behavior can be stopped. The paper began by noting that alcohol drinking is a socially acceptable habit that has some positive benefits. However, drinking has some effects on the individual. The paper has shown that drinking renders the individual unfit to drive. Drinking under the influence increases the risk of engaging in a road accident and this can lead to fatalities. Road accidents caused by drink drivers have a negative impact on the economy of the country. Safety conscious people should therefore avoid drinking while under the influence and encourage their friends to avoid this risky behavior.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Policy Impact: Alcohol Impaired Driving. Web.

Kimler, B., & Humphreys, K. (2013). Losing Your “License to Drink”: The Radical South Dakota Approach to Heavy Drinkers Who Threaten Public Safety. Brown Journal of World Affairs, 20 (1), 267-279. Web.

Sonja, F. (2006). Motives behind risky driving – driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs .

Wolff, K. (2013). Driving under the influence of drugs. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Web.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2015). Why is a drinking and driving programme necessary? Web.

Yadav, R., & Miwako, K. (2015). A systematic review: effectiveness of mass media campaigns for reducing alcohol-impaired driving and alcohol-related crashes. BMC Public Health, 15 (1), 1-17. Web.

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Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol: Findings from the NSDUH, 2002-2017

1 College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States.

Michael G. Vaughn

2 School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103, United States.

3 Graduate School of Social Welfare, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Christopher P. Salas-Wright

4 School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States.

Millan A. AbiNader

5 School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85006, United States.

Mariana Sanchez

6 Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States.

Author Statement

Michael G. Vaughn: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - review & editing

Christopher P. Salas-Wright: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing - review & editing

Millan A. AbiNader: Investigation; Writing - review & editing

Mariana Sanchez : Validation; Writing - review & editing

Based on a nationally representative adult sample, the present study examined the prevalence and trends of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol in the United States from 2002 to 2017.

Using data from the 2002–2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the prevalence of DUI of alcohol in 2012–2017 were estimated to test for changes in trend and to identify populations at elevated risks of alcohol-involved driving.

Since 2002, the prevalence of DUI of alcohol has gradually decreased from a high of 15.1% in 2002–2004 to 11.8% in 2012–2014 and 8.5% in 2016–2017, indicating percent decreases by 21.6% and 43.7%, respectively. While decreasing trends were observed across all major sociodemographic and criminal justice subgroups (except older adults), men, young adults, Whites, and those with higher household income continued to be associated with greater risks of alcohol-involved driving. Nevertheless, DUI arrests continued to increase among women, narrowing the gender gap.

Discussion:

Despite the decreased alcohol-involved driving over the past decade, there remains worrisome levels among young adult males. This underscores the need for alcohol policies and public awareness campaigns targeting young adult males. Moreover, further research is needed to elucidate the potential differences in the populations who reported driving under any influence of alcohol and who were involved in fatal crashes.

1. Introduction

Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol is a significant public health problem. Over 30% of motor vehicle traffic fatalities were caused by alcohol-impaired driving, resulting in 10,874 lives lost and $44 billion costs incurred in 2017 alone ( Naimi et al., 2018 ; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2018 ). Additionally, nearly 1 million arrests were made for DUI during the same year ( The Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d. ). Several key policies have been implemented to reduce DUI of Alcohol. For instance, by 2004, all states enacted new legal limits of alcohol-impaired driving at a blood alcohol concentration [BAC] of 0.08g/dL. By 2011, 42 states adopted so-called the “Administrative License Revocation” law, which enables states to suspend or revoke driver licenses when a driver was found driving with a BAC of 0.08% or above ( Ying et al., 2013 ).

Despite recent policy changes at the federal and state levels, evidence is limited about how many Americans are involved in drinking and driving and how these rates have changed. NHTSA releases data on drivers’ alcohol involvement, but this data only captures those involved in fatal traffic crashes. Some studies ( Quinlan et al., 2005 ; Schwartz & Beltz, 2018 ) report population-based estimates based on national surveys such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), but these studies also have limitations. For instance, the BRFSS asks whether respondents drove when they have had “perhaps too much” drink during the past month ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018a ). Due to the possibility of subjective interpretation of the question, consistent estimation and comparison of the DUI of alcohol prevalence may not be warranted across respondents and years.

To inform prevention efforts while triangulating existing evidence, further evaluation of trends in the prevalence of DUI of alcohol and identification of populations at heightened risk is critical. Especially, evidence on the scope of the population who drive under any degree of alcohol influence is important to provide insights on more general alcohol-involved driving behaviors and to enable early detection and intervention of problematic driving activities. Moreover, large variations in DUI of alcohol patterns and risks across population subgroups (e.g., age, sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status [SES], criminal justice history) require investigations into identifying those at greatest risk ( Calling et al., 2019 ; Casswell et al., 2003 ; Dickson et al., 2013 ; Impinen et al., 2011 ; Schwartz & Beltz, 2018 ). For instance, Schwartz and Beltz (2018) showed that men’s alcohol-impaired driving rates continue to remain higher than women’ despite an overall decreasing trend. Yet, DUI arrests have increased among women since 1985, narrowing the gender gap ( Schwartz & Beltz, 2018 ; Schwartz & Rookey, 2008 ). In a study examining major racial/ethnic groups, Whites were more likely to be involved in alcohol-impaired driving than African-Americans and Hispanics–though people of color were overrepresented in arrests and crashes ( Romano et al., 2010 ). Studies also point to the different drinking and driving behaviors by prior DUI and other criminal arrests. Labrie and colleagues (2007) found that a history of anti-social behavior and criminal justice system encounters were as important as prior alcohol-related problems in predicting a higher recidivism rate.

The present study addresses prior gaps by examining the prevalence and trends of DUI of alcohol in the United States since 2002 using data from National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). We present population-based prevalence estimates for past-year DUI of alcohol among all respondents aged 18 or older and various subgroups by sociodemographic characteristics and criminal justice involvement. Then we tested for changes in trend in DUI of alcohol by comparing with the rates from 2002 to 2017.

2. Material and Methods

2.1. data and sample.

The NSDUH provides nationally representative cross-sectional estimates of substance use and behavioral health outcomes among non-institutionalized civilians aged 12 and older in the United States. In each year, multistage area probability sampling strategy was used to recruit participants, who were interviewed privately at their residence. To reduce socially desirable responding of sensitive behaviors, the interview was carried out using computer-assisted interviewing methodology as a confidential means of reporting. From the 2002–2017 NSDUH data, the present study included an analytic sample of 615,882 adults aged 18 or above (286,562 men and 329,320 women). More detailed descriptions of the NSDUH are available elsewhere ( Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2018 ).

2.2. Measures

2.2.1. dui of alcohol..

All participants were asked: “During the past 12 months, have you driven a vehicle while you were under the influence of alcohol?” Those who reported yes were classified as having involved in DUI of alcohol and were coded as 1, and coded 0 otherwise. While this measure is fully comparable across years from 2002 to 2014, changes in the respondents eligible for DUI questions in 2015 and changes to the drug-related questions in 2016 require caution in comparing estimates between pre-2014 and post-2014 ( Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2016 , 2017 ).

2.2.2. Sociodemographic factors and criminal justice involvement.

In addition to key sociodemographic characteristics including age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, and urbanicity of residence, three indicators (0=no, 1=yes) of criminal justice system involvement in the past 12 months were also examined. These included: any arrests and booking, not counting minor traffic violations, arrests/booking for DUI, and probation/parole status.

2.3. Statistical Analysis

Using the fully comparable data, we first assessed the prevalence of DUI of alcohol in the early 2000s (2002–2004) and 2010s (2012–2014) for the total sample and sociodemographic and criminal justice involvement subgroups. Samples of three adjacent years were combined to obtain a more stable and consistent estimation. Additionally, the prevalence in years 2016–2017 was examined to provide the most recent rates of DUI of alcohol. Second, annual trends of DUI of alcohol among the whole sample and the trends of DUI arrests and booking among those reporting past-year DUI of alcohol were examined while stratifying by key demographic factors. Third, we tested the significance of the DUI of alcohol trends by including year as a continuous independent variable in multiple logistic regression models (while controlling for the sociodemographic factors) as the CDC (2016) suggests. All estimates were weighted to account for the NSDUH’s stratified cluster sampling design ( Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive, 2014 ). While supplementary analyses including the 2015–2017 data follow similar steps above, adjusted weights were created to account for three additional years of data in consistent with the CDC (2018b) ’s technical guideline.

3.1. Trends in DUI of Alcohol among U.S. Adults

Table 1 displays the prevalence and trends of DUI of alcohol from the early 2000s to 2010s among the full sample and subgroups by demographic characteristics and criminal justice involvement. The prevalence in DUI of alcohol decreased from 15.1% in 2002–2004 to 11.8% in 2012–2014, indicating a 21.6% reduction. This decreasing trends were supported by test of trends for 2002–2014 (AOR = 0.967, 95% CI = 0.963–0.971) and 2002–2017 (AOR = 0.956, 95% CI = 0.953–0.958) as shown in Table A.1 .

Past Year Prevalence of Self-Reported Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol among Adults in the United States, NSDUH 2002–2017

Note: Estimates adjusted for survey design effects. According to SAMHDA, data from 2015–2017 are not fully comparable due to changes in survey design; therefore, we conduct separate supplemental tests. Δ pp = percentage point change from 2002–2004. % change determined by dividing the pp change by the 2002–2004 value.

All major sociodemographic and criminal justice subgroups except older adults aged 65+ showed decline in 2012–2014 and then again in 2016–2017 (see Table 1 ). In 2012–2014, 15.6% (11.1% in 2016–2017) of men and 8.4% (6.1% in 2016–2017) of women reported DUI of alcohol, indicating reductions by 23.2% and 18.9% from 2002–2004, respectively. Declines were gradual and consistent over the study period as shown in the upper chart of Figure 1 . Test of trends supported significant decreases over the past decade for both men (AOR = 0.966, 95% CI = 0.961–0.971) and women (AOR = 0.968, 95% CI = 0.963–0.974).

Prevalence of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of Alcohol and DUI Arrests among Respondents Who Reported Past-year DUI of Alcohol by Sex in the United States, NSDUH 2002–2017.

Notes. Y-axis displays the survey adjusted prevalence for the corresponding outcome. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services’ Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (2018) , data for self-reported DUI of alcohol from 2015–2017 are not fully comparable to data prior to 2015 due to changes in survey design.

Additionally, several findings from subgroup analyses are worth noting. First, respondents aged 26–35, due to their slower declining rate than those aged 18–25 (during 2002–2014, AOR = 0.967 for ages 26–34 and AOR = 0.941 for ages 18–25), matched the rates of DUI of alcohol of the youngest age group in 2012–2014. In 2016–2017, 12.1% of respondents aged 26–34 drove under the influence of alcohol, significantly higher than the rates among those aged 18–25 (10.7%). Second, Whites continued to be the racial/ethnic group with the highest prevalence of DUI of alcohol with more than one in every ten adults involved in drunk driving. Third, those with higher SES (i.e., household income of $75,000+ and college education or above) reported the highest prevalence in drunk driving and showed the smallest percent decline over the last decade compared to lower SES groups. Lastly, respondents who encountered the criminal justice system in the past year had greater likelihoods of DUI of alcohol. However, the magnitudes of the decrease in DUI of alcohol prevalence over time were similar to those who were not arrested or booked.

3.2. Trends of DUI Arrests/Booking among Those Engaged in DUI of Alcohol

The lower chart in Figure 1 displays the prevalence of DUI arrests and booking among those reporting DUI of alcohol in the past year. Overall, higher percentages of men reporting DUI of alcohol were more likely to be arrested and booked, ranging between 2.6% and 4.9%, with no significant time trends since 2002 (AOR = 0.999; 95% CI = 0.980–1.018 for 2002–2014). Additionally, significant and gradual increases in women’s DUI arrests and booking were observed from 1.2% in 2002 to 2.3% in 2014 (AOR = 1.055; 95% CI = 1.070–1.082) and 2.5% in 2017 (AOR = 1.040, 95% CI = 1.021–1.059).

4. Discussion

Although we identified decreasing trends in DUI of alcohol (except among older adults), we also found that nearly one in every ten adults in the United States drove under the influence of alcohol. Respondents who were aged 26–34, male, and White, and who reported higher SES as well as those with past-year criminal justice system encounters were more likely to engage in alcohol-involved driving in consistent with prior literature such as Caetano and McGrath (2005) and Labrie et al. (2007) . While greater reductions in the prevalence of DUI of alcohol among those under 26 years old is encouraging, preventive efforts targeting those in their late 20s and early 30s as well as other at-risk sociodemographic subgroups are needed. Moreover, special attention is needed with respect to observed gains in the number of women arrested. Increased alcohol use among women in adolescence and young adulthood as well as a lower legal limit of alcohol-impaired driving are considered important factors underlying the gendered DUI arrest trends ( Robertson et al., 2011 ; Schwartz, 2008 ). Thus, further investigation elucidating who were more affected by the recent alcohol use trends and driving behaviors among women involved in DUI of alcohol is warranted.

Importantly, national reports reveal that the number of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes have started to rise since 2011 in contrast to overall decreases in DUI of alcohol throughout the past decade (see Figure A.1 ). This implies that though fewer Americans drive under any influence of alcohol, the number of alcohol-impaired drivers who are involved in fatal crashes has not subsided since the early 2010s. Thus, it is important to implement measures focused on recalcitrant heavy drinkers who drive that may also have co-existent substance use problems ( Hingson et al., 2008 ). Unfortunately, this may be especially common among young adults who constitutes the largest age group involved in fatal drunk-driving crashes ( National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2018 ).

The present study has several limitations. First, data on DUI of alcohol and criminal justice involvement were derived from respondents’ self-reports. Social desirability bias and subjective assessment of intoxication may have affected responses’ accuracy. However, NSDUH’s adoption of the computer-assisted self-interviewing method is considered effective in encouraging honest disclosures. Second, DUI of drugs, an increasingly important part of the DUI problem ( Nochajski & Stasiewicz, 2006 ), was not examined in the study due to multiple changes in the NSDUH’s study designs specific to these questions. Third, DUI trends by different degrees of alcohol influence could not be examined due to lack of BAC information. Data on BAC are needed to better understand the slower reductions in traffic fatalities involving alcohol-impaired drivers than the rates of reductions in DUI of alcohol. Lastly, lack of contextual information limited further investigations into the underlying mechanisms of a higher DUI risk such as higher SES and neighborhood characteristics (e.g., ethnic densities, policing practices). Future research is needed to elucidate the role of salient individual (e.g., affordability, drinking behaviors) and neighborhood factors.

Despite the aforementioned limitations, the present study provides an important triangulation source for existing evidence which largely focuses on driving with BACs of 0.08g/dL or above. While we observed decreasing trends in DUI of alcohol influence among a nationally-representative U.S. adult sample, we also identified target groups for prevention efforts. Specifically, the present investigation points to further division between Americans who drive following heavy drinking episodes and the aggregates who refrain from drinking and driving at all. Alcohol policies and public awareness campaigns need to target young adult males (mostly White) concomitantly with additional research that sheds light on the potential differences in the populations who were involved in fatal crashes and who reported driving under any influence of alcohol.

• About one in ten Americans are driving under the influence of alcohol(DUI-Alcohol).
• Contrary to overall decreases, DUI-Alcohol remained unchanged among older adults.
• The prevalence among those aged 26–34 exceeded the rates among those 25 or under.
• Male, White, and higher income continue to be associated with a greater prevalence.
• DUI arrests increased among Women, narrowing the gender gap.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health [Award Number K01AA026645]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIAAA or the NIH.

Test of Significance for Trends in Past Year Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol among Adults (Aged 18+) in the United States, NSDUH 2002–2017

Notes. The models were adjusted for sociodemographic factors including sex, age, race/ethnicity, employment status, marital status, educational attainment, annual household income, and urbanicity of residence. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals in bold are statistically significant at .05. Caution in interpretation of the supplemental tests is needed due to potential incomparability of DUI data between pre- and post-Year 2015.

Figure A.1.

Prevalence of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of Alcohol and Number of Alcohol-Impaired Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Crashes, 2004–2017

Notes. Data on driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and alcohol-impaired drivers were derived from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, respectively. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services’ Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (2018) , data for self-reported DUI of alcohol from 2015–2017 are not fully comparable to data prior to 2015 due to changes in survey design.

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Conflict of Interest

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On the Issue of Drunk Driving Essay

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Introduction

Drinking and driving, reference list.

Driving while drunk is collectively known as impaired driving where one drives when under alcohol or any other drug influence. In some countries such as Canada, drinking and driving is an offence and one could be jailed for although cancelling of driving licenses and fines are the most used punishments for such offences.

Driving while one is intoxicated or drunk poses great danger to drivers since they are more likely to get vehicle accidents which may involve injuries or even deaths to themselves and their passengers (if there are any). Many countries especially the UK have set different blood alcohol concentration for drivers to help prevent road accidents.

Driving while drunk has been, for many years, under discussions as the number of vehicle accidents are increasing every day in our roads. Drugs affect one’s ability to react to normal and small things that happen instantly especially when driving.

The concentration of alcohol in a driver’s blood is directly proportional to the driver’s ability to judge distances as well react appropriately to sudden happenings in the road. For instance, the number of deaths of single vehicle drivers registering high blood alcohol content is hundreds times more than those of the same drivers but with a zero blood alcohol content.

What makes the matter worse is the fact that some people drink to the extent of getting blurred vision but still they go on and drive. This situation is worsened more when a blurred driver is driving at night especially in areas where there are no street lights. To many people, drugs that affect one’s ability to drive safely are only the illegal drugs such as marijuana and bhang.

However, these include many of the prescription drugs and the over the counter drugs as long as the drug changes one’s mood or ability to see properly. Ignorance such side effects from the prescription drugs have contributed to a certain percentage of road accidents especially drugs that cause drowsiness. It is therefore up to the driver to plan not to drive if after all he is planning on drinking.

Enquiring from doctors about the side effects associated with prescription medications is also a good move in combating the problem. Some of these drugs, when combined with alcohol, have more drastic effects than either of them could by themselves (Hanson, 2009, p. 1).

Similar to many other social problems in the society today, drinking and driving has not been able to be stopped by the simple rules such as road signs.

As a result, other measures have been taken to effectively reduce the vice. Many countries have now implemented the automatic annulment of one’s license which has proved to be one of the most effective measures towards solving the problem because naturally, no one would want for his license to be cancelled. This has caused many drivers to be cautious on the same matter.

Mandatory jail sentence is also another effective way of getting drivers to avoid driving while they are drunk. Cessation of number plates may be as well an effective method of solving this problem. Laws should be put into place to prevent movement of certain vehicles whose drivers violate the ‘don’t drink and drive rule’.

The use of an alcohol blow gadget that detects the content of one’s alcohol has been helpful in determining drunk drivers in many countries. This makes it possible to identify and therefore punish the defective drivers. Setting up social programs that address the problems and risks associated with drunk driving may as well enlighten the drivers and give them a reason to take the matter seriously.

Restrictions to prevent night time driving especially among the youth who are always going to late night drinking parties could also prevent vehicle accidents. This may also involve getting a designated driver or one may choose to walk home instead of driving.

However, if you have to drink and drive, it is advisable for one to stay sober by either limiting the number of drinks (this differs with many people). Another way of staying sober is by eating protein rich foods such as especially meat while drinking to help lower the body’s rate of alcohol absorption (Hanson, 2009, p. 1).

It is disturbing how drinking and driving habits has caused many deaths on our roads. Many road accidents have been associated with careless driving resulting from drunk drivers. This is because many drugs lower the driver’s ability to coordinate his thoughts and respond to sudden happenings on the roads.

Due to the increase in road accidents, many countries have gone beyond the normal road signs rules to putting other strict measures into place in an effort to prevent these occurrences. Among the most effective measures that have worked in many nations are: jail sentencing or fining and annulment of one’s driving license.

By now it should be clear to every driver that careful driving (either sober or drunk), is all for one’s benefit as well as the other people around him. Drivers should therefore be responsible enough to ensure safety on the roads without being pushed by the law.

Hanson, D.J. (2009). Drinking & Driving. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2018, May 27). On the Issue of Drunk Driving. https://ivypanda.com/essays/drinking-and-driving/

"On the Issue of Drunk Driving." IvyPanda , 27 May 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/drinking-and-driving/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'On the Issue of Drunk Driving'. 27 May.

IvyPanda . 2018. "On the Issue of Drunk Driving." May 27, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/drinking-and-driving/.

1. IvyPanda . "On the Issue of Drunk Driving." May 27, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/drinking-and-driving/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "On the Issue of Drunk Driving." May 27, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/drinking-and-driving/.

Home — Essay Samples — Law, Crime & Punishment — Drunk Driving — Persuasive Speech On Drunk Driving

Persuasive Speech on Drunk Driving

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Published: Mar 14, 2024

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