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In one day, 29 people in the USA die as a consequence of a car accident caused by drinking drivers. Moreover, 17% of all the children deaths are caused by a motor vehicle crash caused by a driver impaired by the use of alcohol.
The numbers are real, and the alcohol consumption has increased, with about 70% of the people saying that they drank alcohol during the last year. This is a visible consequence of the global pandemic, lockdowns, and quarantine. Not all of them indeed decide to drive their cars while impaired, but some of them do. Which makes this problem an urgent one that needs prevention. When evaluating what is reckless driving, you can visit insurancenavy.com/reckless-driving/ and see that this falls directly in line with the definition.
How Is Alcohol Impairing People?
The problem with alcohol drinking and driving is a real one in the USA. Besides many cars that get damaged, there are real people who had no fault. They just were at the wrong place, at the wrong time. The reason many alcohol-impaired drivers decide to drive their car is that they feel that they are fully concentrated and not at all impaired by their alcohol consumption.
This is not true. Even though the effects of alcohol are more severe as you drink more, they can easily be noticed also when we talk about small quantities. Alcohol slows your reaction time, decreases your concentration, and also impairs your coordination. At the same time, your vision will also be impaired, making it difficult for drinking drivers to know the exact position of the car on the road. If you are really interested in the problem of drunk driving in the United States, you can read any essay sample on this topic. For example, you can use the service like https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/drinking-and-driving/, where you can find thousands of essays on any topic that interest you, including alcohol driving.
Are There Any Solutions?
While it may seem that the classical punishments such as the confiscation of license plates or license suspension may work for some of the drinking drivers in the USA, they are not effective for all. So, we should be looking to find more solutions that can prevent car accidents caused by drunk drivers. Each of the deaths caused by drinking drivers can be prevented, but for this, we need to act on a much deeper level.
The real problem here is with alcohol addiction. In 2019, about 26% of people older than 18 years old reported they had binge drank the last month. This can also be a side effect of the global pandemic, as many people lost their jobs or experienced difficulties, so alcohol was like a retreat for them. Alcohol use disorder is a real problem in the USA, and it starts to appear in youngsters aged 12 to 17. However, the number of people receiving treatment for their addiction is pretty low. Their percentage does not go over 10, which is alarming. This addiction can lead to more serious life problems and health issues.
Another solution would be to install on every car some devices that can detect, from the breath of the driver, if they had had alcohol or not. And for those who had, they will not be allowed to start the car, which can indeed be an effective solution.
The Change Starts With You
Drinking drivers are a real problem in the USA, and preventing them from getting in the car and driving is something we all are looking to.
The change starts with you and this is why it is important to become a responsible driver yourself. Moreover, do not let your drunk friends drive the car; it would be better to call a cab. Lead by example and avoid driving after you drank, your friends will follow your example. It is wise to plan your night and your trip back home before starting drinking. Maybe you have a friend that has a driver’s license, a car, and does not intend to drink. However, taxis are always a solution.
Conclusion
The problem of drinking drivers is a real and global one. However, in the USA, about 30 people are killed every day in car accidents produced by drunk drivers. All of these deaths can be prevented by giving people the help they need. Alcohol addiction and disorder are real and they start to affect more and more adolescents and adults. Treatment, therapy, and smart devices can stop them from driving while drunk. Do not forget that the change starts with you: do not drive while drunk and neither let your friends do so.
Author Bio: Emma Runde is a psychotherapist with a passion for writing. Through writing, she shares all her experience and knowledge with interested people. Emma mainly writes on topics such as psychology, attention, and sociology.