Drinking and safe driving cannot go hand in hand. While driving, human brain needs to concentrate on many a thing-techniques, statistics, traffic rules, and so on. But when you consume alcohol, it affects your nervous system, thus preventing you to think properly. The result? As expected-devastating.
Every year, drunk driving causes at least 13,000 deaths in every 1,00,000 people in USA. According to the report of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (http://www.nhtsa.gov/):
As many as 33,561 people died in car accidents in 2012.
At least 10,322 people among them died driving while drunk.
It all may seem some dry statistics, but they represent sad and untimely loss of lives. But it is a serious issue when the commuters are hitting the roads. Someone’s carelessness may result in others' irreparable loss. Even if you come back home safely after driving while drunk, it does not mean that you are making the right decision. Once saved does not mean that you will be spared every time. The repetition of such a behavior may cause some great mishap in future.
How Alcohol Affects Driving
To drive safely, you need a few essential abilities:
Proper judgment
Depth perception
Vital motor skills
But consumption of alcohol affects your above-mentioned senses. As a result, your brain stops to respond to the stimuli. In such a situation, you may feel that you are driving properly. But trust me, you are not. And your ignorance may even result in the loss of someone's life. Besides, you may get entangled in legal cases that may result in huge fines, if not imprisonment.
Legal Proceedings
The legal proceedings due to drunk driving often take ugly turns. Imagine the blaring sound of siren, the knock on your car door, and the uniformed surgeon pushing you towards the police van. Sounds horrible, isn’t it? The moment they detect the incoherence in your speech or behavior and the smell of alcohol from your mouth, you will be charged. May be you will end up in jail for one night or will be charged for DUI or DWI, or lose your license for a year.
DUI
In such cases, if you are found to be intoxicated while operating a vehicle and the test result shows that your blood alcohol level is higher than the state limit, then you are sure to be in danger. No matter if this one is your first charge or not on DUI, you will be prosecuted. And if your driving causes someone’s death, then you will be charged with vehicular manslaughter charges as well. The first offense can result in the loss of license for a year.
DWI
If you are found drunk while driving, you will be charged with DWI. If the officer finds you suspicious and conducts the breathalyzer and sobriety test, then you are going to face trouble. If you are found guilty, then you can also face imprisonment as per the state rule.
According to national statistics, an average of 9,00,000 people die every year in DUI/DWI cases. You can only make a difference by changing your decision not to drive while drunk.
Prevention
Drunk driving is a social problem. The easiest solution is to resist the urge to drink before driving. But apart from these, the administration can also take some measures that will significantly decrease the chances of drunk driving. These might include the following:
Automatic license revocation can effectively decrease the rate of drunk driving.
The punishment can also be more effective if the person gets imprisonment.
Impounding license plates can cause tremendous humiliation and thus, decrease the rate of drunk driving.
If the use of interlock devices can be made mandatory, then that will prevent people from driving the car while intoxicated.
Implementing some social norms program to clear the misconception that one can drive safely even when under influence can be helpful too.
It is true that the administration must play a vital role to prevent the unhealthy practice of drunk driving, but it is actually you who has to make it happen. While sitting behind the wheel, behave like a sensible person, not only for yourself but also for your fellow commuters. Obviously, you neither want to stain your hands with the blood of innocent pedestrians while you chose to break the rule nor your family to lose you. So, take the wiser decision. Drive safe.
Content shared by: premier-plates.co.uk
