Drunk Driving Statistics

“Even though 20% of Americans 16 and older say that, in the past year they have gotten behind the wheel within two hours of drinking alcohol, but society fails to realize that this will continue to be a major issue and push the statistics of fatalities unless something is done about it.” (Blue) Throughout most of the world, drinking and driving has become an over-looked issue that needs to be handled properly. Drunk driving will continue to be a huge issue over this general population today, if something doesn’t take place in order to lower the statistics. “The majority of drinking and driving deaths are due to drivers with a blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, of at least .10 BAC (blood alcohol concentration), the most commonly used definition

So what measures is the government going to to prevent drinking driving/lower the statistics? “Many groups, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), work as anti-drunk driving advocates and endeavor to pass stricter laws to punish offenders. Currently, MADD is working to combine new technologies with drunk driving prevention. Ways of preventing drunk driving accidents through technology include: advanced breath testing, using visible light to measure a person’s BAC through spectroscopy, using touch-based systems to measure blood alcohol content levels through skin, using eye-movement measurement technology to detect involuntary eye movements related to elevated BAC levels and eye closure that is representative of drowsiness. The use of ignition locks is growing in popularity, and MADD wants to make them mandatory for all cars. Installing an ignition lock in repeat offenders’ cars is a possibility in many states. An ignition lock is a machine that is connected to a car’s ignition and checks the driver’s blood alcohol content level. The driver has to blow into the machine to start the car and do so from time to time while the car is running. If alcohol is detected, the car either does not start or turns itself off. If a driver fails the test while the car is in motion, the vehicle’s horn will honk, or the lights will flash to get the attention of law enforcement officials. Law enforcement agencies can help reduce the number of car crashes related to alcohol by making themselves visible on the roadways, especially during the holidays when the number of crashes greatly increases. Sobriety checkpoints are another way to prevent traffic accidents. Checkpoints give officers the opportunity to evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol impairment at various points along a roadway. Usually, cars are stopped in a specific sequence, such as stopping every fourth car. If an officer suspects that a driver has been drinking, the officer may ask the driver to submit to a field or