Harsher Punishments for Drunk Driving

Harsher Punishments for Drunk Driving (DUI)

Drunk driving is when an individual drives or operates a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration or BAC level over the legal limit. Idaho's legal BAC limit is .08; most states withhold the same law as well. This limit is equivalent to one or two drinks before exceeding the legal limit. Some think that they can have a beer and drive home, it doesn't work that way. Alcohol affects everybody differently. Twenty-five percent of all teenage car crashes involve alcohol or drugs. Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21, die as a result of underage drinking (Merino). Serious measures need to be taken to save teens lives from dying young due to driving while intoxicated. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a major health problem in the United States which calls for harsher punishments such as: increased fines with longer suspensions, acknowledging the tremendous risks, and providing help for repeat offenders.

Teenage drinking and driving has torn thousands of families apart due to young teen's poor decisions to decide to drink, and then get behind the wheel of a two thousand pound hunk of metal. According to Jerry Cowley, County Sheriff for over 30 years, states "If teens are under the influence, they cannot safely operate a 2,000 pound vehicle at any speed." Teens do not acknowledge the risk, which is why increasing D.U.I. fines will steer teens and adolescents away from drinking and driving. According to recent offenders, raising the fines and suspensions will not make a difference on the road. However, raising the charges are linked to less accidents involving alcohol therefore making the streets overall safer. The tickets or fines will be raised drastically so that they will think twice about driving under the influence. The larger the ticket, the less of a chance a teenager will drive. Not alone will increased fines reduce drunk driving, but increasing the number of days of license suspensions will help significantly.

By combining both increased fines, and license suspensions, teens will stay away from driving under the influence. That is why if teens are caught drunk driving they should not be given any slack.

Along with increased fines and longer suspensions, teens especially, need to be given community service hours as well. Luckily, the numbers of teen deaths due to vehicle accidents involving alcohol have dropped significantly. The CDC credited the nearly fifty-four percent decline to stricter laws against drunken driving and restrictions on teen driving privileges, such as limits on the hour’s teenagers may legally drive at night (Beasley). If teens continue to drive under the influence after the fines, suspensions, and service hours, they will be given the opportunity to spend the night at a local jail or prison and see just what it's like to take an innocent life or lives due to their negligence.

Unfortunately, more than ninety percent of high school seniors chose to drink alcohol (Lang). Teenagers don't see the dangers of drinking and driving as soon as they chose to drink. Most think that they will be fine if they have just one drink, and are still eligible to drive, and this is the main killer of teens. Teens think that they are invincible and this is why most of them wind up dead or severely injured due to their cockiness and conceitedness. Although drinking and driving occurs among teens of both sexes, statistics indicate that boys are more likely to be involved in fatal crashes in which alcohol is a factor. First, and foremost, males need to be taken into consideration before females. A huge downfall of alcohol is that it is highly seen as a rite of passage among teens, males in particular. In which this can lead to early stages of alcoholism, alcohol dependence, and most importantly, drunken driving, at a young age. Twenty-six percent of male driver’s ages 16-20 involved in fatal crashes were drinking at the time, as compared to thirteen percent of female drivers in the same age group (Mendralla).

D.U.I cases have dropped significantly but now distracted driving is currently on the rise. Not only is drunk driving a main factor in teen deaths but poor driving habits such as distracted driving, or using a cellular device while driving, has played a key role in teen deaths. Don't use a cell phone, put on make-up, comb hair, or eat while driving. Drivers using cellular phones are four times more likely to have an accident than other drivers (Drunk Driving). Alcohol, drugs and cell phones are major causes for teen fatalities of motor vehicle crashes. Not only is control on alcohol a main priority, but drugs as well. Teens are especially vulnerable to distractions while driving and are more likely than other age groups to be involved in a fatal crash where distraction is reported (Johnson).

An easy way to help cut down on teen drinking and driving is simply keeping alcohol out of teens reach. Surprisingly, most teens get their alcoholic drinks from their parents and older family members. This is why teens should not be given the option to have access to alcohol such as in their household. Today's teens are tomorrow's generation that is why we need them in their best condition. We can't have America's future work force and service members out drunk, partying and wasting their lives on alcohol and drugs. There is no way possible to control all teens and their access to alcohol, but we can make a difference. One easy way is to avoid parties that will have alcohol there. By knocking down alcoholic parties, keeping alcohol out of the house and out of the family will make a big difference in teen's lives. Keep in mind drugs, are in the picture also, not just alcohol.

Sadly, a combination of both alcohol and drugs and be extremely dangerous. Drugs can affect humans just as much as alcohol can. This is why alcohol and drugs need to be