Abstract
The given paper revolves around the nagging problem of the alcohol abuse and drunk driving. The paper consists of eight parts which help to present the information in the logic and clear way. The introduction provides the information needed for the better understanding of the main topic of the given project. It also presents the background of the research, highlighting the most important aspects of the given issues and formulating the roots of the problem.
The major concerns related to the drunk driving are provided in the next section of the paper. The research is based on the new and relevant statistics obtained from the credible sources. The analysis of the drunk driving and its aftermath contributes to the better understanding of the solutions considered in the paper. The given essay revolves around the implementation of the new law which introduces the minimal legal age and the usage of the ignition interlock to monitor the situation connected with the issue of drunk driving. The paper presents the clear reasons to support the given law and outlines the evaluation criteria which could be used to determine the level of the success. At the end of the paper, the conclusion is provided.
Main
The problem of the overuse of alcohol could be taken as one of the most significant concerns of the modern society. Statistics show that 86.6 percents of people aging 18 or older drink alcohol (Alcohol Facts and Statistics, n.d.). This fact poses a great threat to the survival of the mankind and continuation of the development of society. It is proved by the number of drunk people died in various accidents. Additionally, the high rate of the alcohol abuse among the youth impacts the deterioration of the gene bank and results in the degeneration of the nation. Finally, the police reports evidence that the majority of the road traffic incidents are characterized by the participation of a drunk driver (Drinking and Driving, n.d.) These facts give rise to many concerns related to the attempts to increase the legal minimum drinking age and introduce the practices aimed at the monitoring of drunk driving.
The given topic is not new and has been touched upon many times. However, nowadays it obtains especial significance in terms of the increase of the number of alcohol addicted young people and fatal cases connected with the usage of alcohol-related products. The scale of the problem is so significant that the necessity to introduce the limits becomes obvious. However, there are still problems related to the introduction of the measures to control the usage of alcohol and its sales. The opponents of the severe practices underline the importance of the ability to make a choice and insist on the fact that it will not promote the significant improvement of the situation. Yet, the scale of the challenge introduces the necessity of the implementation of a certain monitoring tool to prevent the further deterioration of the situation.
Another important concern related to the usage of alcohol is drunk drying. The statistics connected with the given issue evidence that the quarter of all traffic incidents happen because of the usage of alcohol by a driver (International statistics, n.d.). The majority of these incidents end with the death of the participants. For this reason, if a state wants to protect its citizens from the alcohol overuse and guaranty safety to pedestrians, it has to introduce the tool to provide the efficient monitoring of the usage of this substance and control the car driving. The reconsideration of the current policy related to the given aspect might trigger the great change process resulting in the significant improvement of the situation. Finally, the limit of this sort is needed to protect the youth and guaranty the further evolution of society.
In this regard, there is the suggestion to implement the national law that approves twenty-one as a legal minimum drinking age and introduces a set of measures to control the state of a person. Especial attention should be devoted to the drivers who already have drunk driving charges. These people should be obliged to use the ignition interlock and pass through the examination procedure. To accomplish this very task, it is crucial to organize the additional sobriety checkpoints placed at the most dangerous segments of the road. The presence of these checkpoints will increase the efficiency of the new more severe laws regulating the usage of alcohol and help to monitor the state of drivers with the negative history. Additionally, the given law should imply serious fees and other penalties for the breakers. A person under 21 should be prohibited to consume any alcohol-related products.
As identified above, the suggested law also provides the usage of the ignition interlocks to achieve better results. The given device requires a driver to blow into a special container to analyze the structure of the exhaled air and determine the alcohol concentration (Ignition Interlocks – What You Need to Know, 2009). If it exceeds the limit, the car will not move. The first investigations of the given device proved its great efficiency and highlighted its potential. A study conducted to prove the positive impact of ignition interlock analyzed the first experience related to its usage (Elder et al., 2011). The obtained results evidence the significant decrease of the number of traffic incidents triggered by the drunk driving (Elder et al., 2011). For this reason, the installation of the ignition interlocks could contribute to the reduction of the number of death and cases of drunk driving. Additionally, it might help to determine the breakers of the suggested law and provide reasonable punishment for them.
Cogitating about the efficiency of the suggested measures, such concerns as constant monitoring and penalties should be highlighted. The increase of the number of sobriety checkpoints will obviously lead to the growth of the level of consciousness of drivers. A number of young people who consume alcohol get into a car being sure that they will not be caught, and there will be no examination of their state (Impaired Driving: Get the Facts, n.d.). However, the creation of the new checkpoints will make the examination more probable. Combined with the severe punishment, it might result in the significant reconsideration of the approach towards the drunk driving.
The positive impact of the implementation of the given practices and devices could be proved by the evaluation of the statistics related to the rate of the alcohol usage and the number of drunk driving incidents. Additionally, the efficiency of the usage of the ignition interlocks will be confirmed by the increase of the level of safety of pedestrians and other drivers
To summarize, the overuse of the alcohol-related products is one of the major concerns of the modern society. The significant scale of the problem results in the growth of the level of attention devoted to the given issue and implementation of the new law aimed at the monitoring of the given sphere. The change of the minimum legal drinking age, creation of the new sobriety checkpoints, and the usage of the ignition interlocks are the practices implemented to improve the situation and achieve the needed goal.
References
Alcohol Facts and Statistics. (n.d.). Web.
Drinking and Driving. (n.d.). Web.
Elder, W., Voas, R., Beirness, D., Shults, R., Sleet, D., Nichols, J., & Compton, R. (2011). Effectiveness of Ignition Interlocks for Preventing Alcohol-Impaired Driving and Alcohol-Related Crashes A Community Guide Systematic Review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 40(3):362–376. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2010.11.012.
Ignition Interlocks – What You Need to Know. (2009). Web.
Impaired Driving: Get the Facts. (n.d.). Web.
International statistics. (n.d.). Web.