I wrote this to give viewers a bit of background information..

The Economic and Social Impacts of Drunk Driving

Drinking and driving is and will continue to be a leading issue in today’s society. Drinking and driving affects thousands and thousands of people physically and mentally. Teenagers throughout the United States have begun to experiment with alcohol and have caused a far too large number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries. Teenagers are not the only ones that are causing the issue of driving while intoxicated. Alcoholics, who will deny the fact that they have a drinking problem, have also caused numerous traffic fatalities and law enforcers are not being as strict as they need to be to put an end to drinking and driving.
The current law enforcement in the Unites States is lacking the ability to punish criminals. One of the goals of the U.S. law enforcement is to crack down on drinking and driving by pressuring or threatening those who commit the crime of drinking while intoxicated or under the influence. The affects that drinking and driving have on one also affect that person’s family and ultimately impact the United States’ economy. It may be too late, but steps need to be taken throughout the United States to secure the safety of society and to protect America’s reputation as one of the strongest nations in the world.
In Gerald D. Robin’s “Waging the Battle Against Drunk Driving,” examined are the effects of alcohol on the mind, body, and soul. Robin’s book incorporates the measures that need to be taken to “crackdown drunk driving (Robin 109).” The author refers to “general deterrence,” which is the process by which laws are improved to rid the issue of drunk driving, to be used when one is convicted of drinking and driving. Year over year, the number of fatalities due to drunk driving exceed the number of murders there are. “Drunk drivers maim more innocent victims than all assault street criminals combined (Robin 6).” The harsh realities of drinking and driving seem unreal, but they are extremely truthful. Any act of drinking and driving, even though it may only be one drink, is an extremely serious crime and the consequences, although severe, are going to get worse. General deterrence must be made stronger in order to keep drunk drivers off of the roads.
In reality, drunk driving can affect the lives of many even though no one was injured physically. Impaired driving has caused deprived lives for many Americans. For example, one September night, Cam Johnson was arrested for having one drink with her friends and she decided that she would drive them home. Unfortunately, Johnson was illegally intoxicated and suffered major consequences. Johnson rarely drank alcohol and she even stressed the importance of not drinking especially if you to decide to drive to her children. “She feels like an outcast in her own family (Sun A01).” She was embarrassed and nearly shunned away by the ones that once loved her. Johnson’s friends and family viewed her as a horrible person with an alcohol problem when she rarely even drinks. With the costs of damage done emotionally, the single crime of getting a DUI can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. “Her marriage has collapsed, in part because of arguments about the thousands of dollars her arrest has cost (Sun A01).” The affects of Johnson’s action led to problems that she would have never even thought of if it were not for the single drink that she had.
Cam Johnson’s personal account is part of the statistics shown in present day America. Present day statistics have shown that alcohol has been a leading cause of car crashes in the U.S. in a 2002 study provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of alcohol related car crashes in 2000 is extremely high and has cost the government a large amount of money.“ Alcohol-involved crashes resulted in 16,792 fatalities, 513,000 nonfatal injuries, and $50.9 billion in economic costs…accounting for 22 percent of all crash costs (Seay 2).” Many underreported accidents caused by alcohol are not included in the 2000 study. “Police correctly identified 42 percent of drivers who had been drinking (Seay 34).” An astonishing 58 percent of drivers that might have potentially been drinking were not given any kind of test. Some scientists have developed plans to put an end to drinking and driving. Dr. Ralph Hingson has said, “Ongoing education, improved enforcement, and comprehensive community programs can reduce alcohol-related traffic deaths even further (Hingson 219-226).” There have been efforts to reduce the amount of alcohol-related traffic deaths but the number is still too high. People must work together to maintain a healthy society where alcohol does not affect the lives of others.
While society remains in shambles due to drinking and driving, the economy is becoming an extreme issue as well. Some politicians would argue that drunk driving is only a small increment of the United States government’s debt of over $9 trillion. But, by eliminating the ever-growing costs of drunk driving and liabilities, the government can spend money on things that it actually needs rather than poor judgments and decisions. Perhaps on welfare or social security but the government could save an extra $50 million by eliminating issues due to drunk driving. It seems as if it is a waste of money because the money going towards issues of drinking and driving is only paid because of actions performed by people that made irrational decisions.
Alcohol has been one of the leading causes of death among teenagers and alcoholics alike and has had a major impact on the United States’ society and economy. United States enforcement needs to be improved to put an immediate, if not gradual end to this issue that has affected thousands of people. It has harmed too many people emotionally or physically to be continued and it will remain an eminent issue in society today. If the United States wants to continue its reputation as one of the strongest nations in the world, drinking and driving must be put to an end. Unfortunately, drinking and driving will not be eliminated immediately because Americans are slow to recognize precautions. After one drink, Americans believe that they have the capability to drive but it is highly illegal. Drinking and driving is portrayed as a low key issue in today’s society but should be taken seriously to improve the American way of living.