Driving has always been one of the few experiences where a person could relax and clear their mind. Unfortunately, that relaxing experience can quite frequently be cut short by some reckless driver crashing into your car.
Further examination often reveals that said driver was drunk, which has been an ongoing problem in society that seems to have no solution. In this article, we’ll discuss how prevalent drunk driving has become, and how we can stop it.
How Common Is Drunk Driving?
Drunk driving is unfortunately more dangerous and common than most people think. Stats from 2018 show that, in the US alone, almost 30 people die every day from drunk driving-related accidents! That is one person every 50 minutes or so. These horrifying numbers go to show how prevalent the problem has become, and how many people pay the price with their lives due to such reckless behavior. The money lost due to those incidents also amounts to millions of dollars, which are often paid by hard-working people who were just going home after a long day’s work. In case you get arrested for drunk driving, look for dui lawyers. An experienced dui lawyer will ensure that your rights are protected. Your lawyer may also help you find a bail bonds agency if you need help with your bail.
Why Drunk Driving Is Bad
In very simple terms, alcohol impairs a person’s thinking and reasoning. It also affects muscle coordination. This is why drunk people seem to talk slower and have delayed reflexes. Needless to say, on the road, this can be catastrophic. A person driving under the influence is an accident waiting to happen because they basically don’t have their wits about them. The more alcohol there is in your body, the worse the effect it will have on your nervous system. This is why there is a limit for blood alcohol concentration levels; exceed those and you get a DUI charge if caught.
When a person drives with a high percentage of alcohol in their system, it could be deadly. If you’re lucky to get stopped by a police car, you’ll get a DUI charge. If not, you will most likely get into a car accident and jeopardize people’s lives, which still doesn’t seem to stop people from driving around drunk in their cars. So, how exactly can we stop the spread of this catastrophic problem?
Strict Application of Laws
Prevention is the best way to deal with drunk driving, and there’s no better way to stop this problem than the strict application of laws. One of the more common scenarios now is people using ride-hailing apps only to find that they were unlucky enough to land a drunk driver. If you got into an accident in such a situation, then the driver is at fault here and you need to take legal action against them. In some cases, you might also want to sue the ride-sharing company that hired this driver because obviously, their vetting process was faulty. This was just an example of how far you should go to claim your right if you got into an accident because of drunk driving. Whatever the situation was, if you found yourself with medical and repair bills because of a driver under the influence, don’t be afraid to sue and pursue compensation.
Police Patrols
The police also need to play an active role in tackling this prevalent problem in society. Well-publicized and regularly established police checkpoints often prove quite efficient in preventing drunk driving, especially when held in locations and times where alcohol-impaired driving is recurrent. In other words, when people know that there is a police patrol on their route home, every day at the same time, they would think twice before drinking and driving. If you want to learn more about drunk driving, you can check out information on florida dui penalties.
Your Role
As a citizen, the biggest responsibility falls on your shoulders. No matter how confident you are in your driving abilities or how well you think you can handle alcohol, never drive while drunk. You would be jeopardizing not just your life, but also that of innocent people. Always exercise sound judgment and avoid driving when you have consumed alcohol, even if you don’t feel unhinged. You might not know it, but your senses might be impaired and slower than usual, which can be lethal with you behind the wheel.
To find an answer to and stop the problem of drunk driving, all members of society need to come together. Laws need to be harsher and they need stricter enforcement. Individuals need to be more aware of their roles and responsibilities to stop the spread of this tragic pattern. You should always preach what you practice; if you have friends who regularly drive under the influence, advise them, and make them understand how dangerous it is to drive under the influence of alcohol. If everybody does their part, one day, maybe we won’t see as many accidents due to drunk driving.