Essay on Driunk Driving Statistics - 1109 Words

How many times have you made it home safely while drinking and driving? Hopefully you have never tried. In 2011, on average someone died every 53 minutes from an alcohol related accident in the US alone (2011 Drunk Driving statistics). It is illegal to drive under the influence in all of North America and Puerto Rico. A car crash is considered â€Å"alcohol-related† if at least one driver or pedestrian involved in the crash has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher (2011 Drunk Driving statistics). There are many solutions to drinking and driving; however there are ways to get around just about every solution. Drinking and driving is a huge problem in the United States. When someone is driving while†¦show more content†¦First, the Ignition Interlock system is a Breathalyzer that can be installed into a person’s car. Before the person is able to start their car, they have to blow into the Breathalyzer that is installed in their car. The Breathalyzer will measure the amount of alcohol in the persons system at that time. As long as they blow under the legal limit of 0.8 g/dL, their car will start. If it is higher, the ignition will lock and the car will not be able to start (Bose). When the minimum drinking age was raised from 18 to 21 years old, it reduced alcohol related crashes by 16 percent. Finally, the zero tolerance law has helped to reduce alcohol related crashes by a further 11 percent (Bose). Also, if you get pulled over, the officer might have you do a few things called Field Sobriety Tests. You may be asked to stand with one lag lifted off of the ground for a few s econds. They may also ask you to do the â€Å"walk and turn test.† The officer will ask the driver to walk in a straight line putting one foot directly in front of the other, turn, and walk back the same way. There are also a few other tests that the officer can ask you to do. If you are drunk, the police officer will see that the appropriate actions are taken (FreeAdvance staff). The most effective tactic seems to be the immediate cancelation of the driver’s license the first time a