Stay Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive

Kwadwo Abofari

Stay Alive, Don’t Drink and Drive

Drunk driving has been the leading cause of death for teens and young adults. I personally knew a few people who died from severe car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and about a quarter of those crashes involve an underage drinking driver.” When people survive from car accidents, they sustain severe injuries. Drunk driving is dangerous because it causes slow reaction time and lack of coordination, reduces concentration, decreases vision, and inhibits judgment.

This can be prevented by enforcing drinking laws and raising awareness. Drunk driving laws make it illegal across the nation to drive with a BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) of at or above 0.08%. According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), “Mass media campaigns spread messages about the physical dangers and legal consequences of drunk driving.” School-based intervention programs teach teens not to ride with drunk drivers. This can also reduce the number of drunk driving and related crashes. NHTSA is committed to remove risky behaviors on our nation’s roads. Through research, public awareness campaigns, and State safety grant programs, NHTSA shows its commitment to eradicating drunk driving. Their programs have steadily reduced alcohol-related crash fatalities. The organization will continue its work until there are not any drunk-driving crashes on our roadways.

One way to reduce chances of a car crash against an impaired driver is to reduce speed. Speed affects an individual’s chances of a car crash and its consequences. For example, the Allianz Group exclaims that “At 35mph (56km/h) you are twice as likely to kill someone you hit as at 30mph (48km/h).” Another way to reduce chances of a car crash against an impaired driver is to wear a seatbelt. Allianz contends that “In Europe alone, driving according to speed limits and wearing seat belts could save about 12,000 lives and prevent 180,000 injuries per year.” The most important way to improve road safety is by not drinking and driving. If you drink, do not get behind the wheel for any reason. Call a taxi, a ride sharing service, or a sober friend. These action steps can save billions of dollars and thousands of lives.

Works Cited

“Drunk Driving.” NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 8 May 2019,

www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.

“Ten Ways to Improve Road Safety.” Allianz, The Allianz Group, 21 February 2013,

www.allianz.com/en/press/extra/knowledge/mobility/130221-ten-ways-to-improve-road-safety1.html.

“What Works: Strategies to Reduce or Prevent Drunk Driving.” CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 March 2016,

www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/strategies.html.