Alcohol is a drink that is made from natural products like fruits and vegetables that are fermented by the use of yeast. Alcohol comes in different forms and can be used as an antiseptic or a sedative. When people drink alcohol, it gets absorbed in the bloodstream thus affecting the central nervous system and since it is a depressant, it hinders someone’s movement vision, and also hearing. Alcohol can be taken in small amounts to relax one’s mind but many people tend to abuse it by taking large amounts at one time and thus lose coordination.
Drunken driving is a major problem in many countries, both developed and developing. Researches have shown that when a driver drinks, he/she lacks coordination and they cannot make proper decisions while driving, and this leads us to the question, why do people drink and drive? Some researches have shown that people who often drink and drive have small amounts of cortisone, a hormone that causes stress, though this could also be inherited. Therefore, people of such kind when arrested for drunken driving seem less stressed or worried as compared to those arrested for the first time for such an offense. Other people drink due to influence from their friends and some think it is fun to drive while drunk, especially teenagers. Some people also seem to underrate the effect of alcohol, while others say that they are more alert when driving drunk.
Drunken driving has many effects not only on the driver but also on the passengers, pedestrians, and people close to them as well. For instance, in the event where an accident occurs due to drunken driving, the passengers may be physically injured or even cause death. This also applies to the people outside who may be pedestrians or passengers in a different vehicle. Other than the physical harm and death, an accident causes emotional trauma to the people involved, their friends and families.
In the cause of an accident, the owner of the vehicle is expected to compensate the injured people and this could drain someone financially especially if the vehicle was not properly insured. On the other hand, an accident must not necessarily occur but one might be arrested for driving under alcohol influence. When this happens, it is marked on the license and this can ruin one’s reputation and it becomes laborious especially when you want to renew it. The license can be suspended for some time or even revoked completely. Driving while drunk also lowers self-confidence and many people will always hold off such drivers thus damaging one’s social life.
Measures have been and should continue being put into place to reduce this menace. For instance, license provocation and jail sentences can be used on those found repeatedly driving while drunk. Vehicles from such drivers can also be impounded and restricted from operating for some time. Other drivers and the public, in general, can be engaged in reporting such drivers to the authorities by calling specified numbers. Some devices can be installed on the vehicle to prevent people who have had so much intake of alcohol from starting the vehicle. Laws should be put into place restricting the time when young people should not drive at night. Civic education should also be undertaken but the government and other authorities, to educate and warn people of the dangers of drunken driving.
Some of the above measures have been undertaken in many states and found to be effective and others with little effect. Driving while drunk is entirely a personal decision as one can decide not to or how much to drink. Drivers should therefore be encouraged to designate drivers when they find themselves in such a situation. Those who drive and drive should admit that they have a problem and seek counseling over the matter. To be on the safe side, it is good not to drink and drive!