drinking and driving

Drinking and Driving
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Drunk driving continues to rank among the most pervasive and damaging social problems in America (Arnett 1990). This is true despite the efforts of different groups, like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), that educate the people about the dangers of the same. The effects of driving under the influence on the driver and his or her family members as well as other road users are clear. However, cases of the same persist. It is imperative that the government and other concerned stakeholders come up with better measures aimed at dealing with this problem. Society can achieve this only after uncovering the real reasons why people still drive under the influence, then formulate the initiatives to deal with the same. The real reasons why drunk driving is still an issue in the current day is the ‘don’t-care attitude’, psychological problems, and lack of knowledge that one is drunk.
Some people will never change despite the knowledge in the public domain about how dangerous drunk driving is to a nation. Such people continue to drive under the influence with no regard about the law. They are not afraid of being confronted by traffic police because the sanctions for drunk driving are very lenient. The best solution for the ‘don’t care’ attitude is that the legislature should come up with stricter laws against drunk drivers. Since drunk driving is a state-level offense, the seriousness of the punishment depends on the state. However, the kinds of punishment expected for drunk driving include fines, license suspensions, mandatory counseling among other weak forms of punishment.

Such punishments cannot deal with a flippant attitude effectively. People found guilty of drunk driving should be tried for attempted murder. Driving under the influence is attempting murder on one’s person and other road users. Such a serious form of punishment would deter people from driving under the influence.
Psychological problems also lead to drunk driving. For example, when one contemplates suicide, one may settle on drunk driving as a good way of committing suicide because being high means that one will not feel the pain. Dealing with such a problem may be difficult because discovering that one is contemplating suicide is very difficult. However, a potent creation of awareness can help deal with the same. The creators of awareness should frame it differently. Most advertisements warning against drunk driving, center on its effects on the drunk driver. A person contemplating suicide will not pay attention to it. Advertisements should be framed to show that drunk driving impacts other people as well. A person who wants to commit suicide will find out that while trying to kill oneself, he or she may kill other road users who want to live, and this would deter him or her from the same.
Some people claim that the reason why they drive while drunk is that they do not feel drunk. The government can deal with this problem by stipulating that every car owner should own a breathalyzer. He or she can then use it to check the alcohol level in his or her blood and call for a driver if need be. This will avoid cases of people driving under the influence because of lack of the knowledge that one is drunk.
Everyone should strive to avoid drunk driving because of its effects on the society. The government should introduce measures to deal with reasons for drunk driving. Reasons such as the ‘don’t-care attitude’, psychological problems, and lack of knowledge that one is drunk can be dealt with by introducing stricter laws, framing awareness campaigns effectively, and requiring every car owner to have a breathalyzer, respectively.
References
Arnett, J. (1990). Drunk driving, sensation seeking, and egocentrism among adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 11(6), 541-546.