Problems Posed by Drunk Driving (Essay Sample)

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Drunk Driving
Introduction
Over the past few years, awareness on drunk driving and its effects has enhanced individuals to be cautious when drinking, especially the commonly alcohol-abusive group of young adults. Currently, majority of young adults are involved in excessive consumption of alcohol as compared to the elderly people. Most of the accidents reported always show that one or more young people were in the automobile while the accident occurred. Not only do they involve in drunk driving when they have abused alcohol, but they are also involved in unprecedented behaviors which leads to negative consequences or harmful activities.
Although numerous studies have demonstrated a decline in excessive alcohol across the globe, the rate of consumption has not changed especially on individuals who are at between 18 years and 30 years (Hirsch). Though there has been a decline in its effects since 1982 in regard to traffic deaths associated with excessive consumption of alcohol, there was an increase in deaths caused by young adults aged 21 years and above (Transportation Research Board 135). Globally, the problem of drunk-driving has been on the headlines and never has a concrete solution been devised in the realization of total demarcation of the problem. Although the drunk-driving problem do exist in the current society, stringent measures, and solutions have been proposed to mitigate the situation.
Problems Posed by Drunk Driving
The main problem associated with Alcohol-impaired driving is the increase in the number of traffic accidents, especially caused by young adults. In the United States, for instance, young drivers between the age of 16 years and 25 years constitute only 15% of the licensed drivers (Elder 288). However, it is alarming that these young adult drivers are the cause of 30% of the total alcohol-related accidents (Transportation Research Board 134). It is twice the percentage of the number of licensed drivers in that category. This disproportionate may be attributed to the inexperience nature of the young drivers and their drinking habits. In 2012, people who were aged between 16 and 25 died due to fatal accidents, and approximately half of the people who perished were caused by alcohol-impaired driving. Therefore, it is not a surprise that majority of road accidents and traffic crashes are as a result of alcohol-related driving, and majority of those who perish are young adults (Elder 291).
Some of the main factors that attribute to this problem include: inexperienced driving, failure to wear seatbelts by both passengers and the driver, and blood alcohol content (BAC) (Transportation Research Board 134). Inexperienced driving and failure to wear seatbelts are just minor issues in regard to the overall fatality of the problem. The major factor of that causes these problem is the blood alcohol content (BAC), as it affects the vision and decision making process of a driver. According to Taylor and Oberman, the comparison between the drivers with not involved in vehicle crash and those that were reported to have caused fatal accidents showed that with an increase in 0.02%of the blood alcohol content in an individual, the risk of involving in car crash doubles (79). For inexperienced drivers and those who are under the age of 21 years, the risk of involvement in car accident increases rapidly.
Consequently, drunk-driving does not only cause death to the victims, but also increases the cost outlay in the process of medication. In the case of an accident, some of the drivers may have deformation or permanent total disability. The families and friends of the victims will be imposed to unnecessary expenses including the cost of lost productivity in the case where the victim was the bread-winner, rehabilitation expenses, and hospital costs. Such costs may have been used in other economical activities that would have harnessed the economic plausibility and living standard of the people in the society. Drunken driving practice also affects the operations of the traffic police. Incase of focusing on arresting other violators of traffic rules, most of their time will be on arresting intoxicated drivers. In 2012, United States arrested a record of more than 1.6 million of those who were drunk driving; as such, it was approximately 12% of the total arrest made during the year (Robin 21). However, with these problems in place, the government and non-governmental organizations have strategized on imminent solutions that will mitigate the