An Argumentative Essay
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An Argumentative Essay
Introduction
Many accidents that happened in the road today are due to over-speeding, reckless driving, and lose control of mechanical devices. Year by year, reports on road accidents grow in number, and they become more intense as many young drivers do not pay attention to the danger of the road. They do not have the attitudes to respect other drivers and to obey the policies and regulations implemented by the government. This problem would contribute to the dilemmas of the superhighway and the people involved in the accidents. As such, this article examines the problems brought about by drunk driving. It would also be noted that some government institutions find ways to solve and prevent the accidents. It is because the effect of drunk driving costs the lives of the intoxicated drivers and the innocent lives as well. Therefore, drunk driving as additional burden of the government must be taken immediate considerations.
Analysis and Explanation of the Thesis
Alcohol problems worsen globally. The continuous promotional sales for alcoholic drinks and other beverages become more intensifying as many customers patronize the products. Even if there is a growing awareness of alcohol effects as well as the hazards, many are still encouraged to consume these products for enjoyments, social gatherings, and emotional problems. Young adults who by nature do not have the coping mechanisms with the problems always get the chance to drink. The increasing problems of the country such as unemployment, breaking up with a relationship, loss of job, and any other business losses contribute to the issues of the country. As a result, people get drunk and drove home as unsafely as they could be.
Further, the increasing rates of drunkard and the road accidents accounted by news reports have given people the idea to be cautious. America, for example, has recognized the dangers accommodated by the prone-accident areas. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 518,000 person people will be injured in alcohol-related accidents this year. There are also 10, 800 people who will die in a "drunk driving" accident. Added reports notify that accident rates inflate during Christmas season and much more on Christmas Eve. Certain occasion like Christmas adds up a number of drunkards in the country.
Statistics revealed that about every 50 minutes someone died due to an alcohol-related accident. Driving after consuming alcohol is quite common as the drivers do not drive well. It is important to realize that the brain function will be damaged once alcohol-content beverages affect the hypothalamus, responsible of the balance and attentiveness of our mental state. Once the drunk drivers decide to drive, there is a tendency that they may find road accidents.
The responsibility of all drivers demands careful attention to details. The repetitive reports on road accidents are oftentimes caused by drinking. Though a number of issues reported on drunk driving, the drivers do not make a move to lessen this terrible social illness. I believe that interventions by the local government unit, private organization, and the driver’s association are essential. These organizations at least can prevent and re-enforce peace in the superhighway. The effects of drunk driving can be fatal and irreparable. First, hundreds of innocent lives have been unjustifiably killed. They would die for people’s negligence and irresponsibility. Secondly, it would create heavy traffic and delay of emergency trips and destinations. In other words, when people demand the state of urgency such as to save lives and to chase criminals, it covers the whole time of chasing after another. It would break the natural flow of the road travels and destinations. Thirdly, the effects of drunk driving create emotional terror when loved ones die. The psychological distress manifested in the incidents leads to a long term emotional trauma why their loved ones die. The result is stressful.
Because of the increasing problem, a team-up of organizations meets to publicize the prevention and reduction program. Perhaps, one step to do this activity is to educate people over the effects of driving under the influence of alcohol. The Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD), Fathers against Drunk Driving (FADD), and other Non-profit Citizen Activist Group with similar objectives attempt to find economical benefits for all the drivers in general through giving free seminars and orientations. They are pushing this “campaign drive” for all people to achieve a better nation to live in.
Likewise, the government and private sectors should cater insurance benefits if in case accident happens. They are accommodating accident problems and providing assistance for the victims. Other organizations also have started making a move. Just like the Mother against Drunk Driving group, they are willing to begin a new identification of drunk drivers. This strategy to identify the drunk drivers has been effective and used by the people of America. Leightner (2011) at MADD.com site stressed out that “some ways police officers detect drunk driving are by:
• Making wide turns
• Weaving, swerving, drifting, or straddling the center line
• Almost striking an object or vehicle
• Driving on the wrong side of the road
• Driving at a very slow speed
• Stopping without cause
In this case, the government should administer the prevention to lessen the problem. The government should implement penalties of those who stubborn drivers. The police officers must catch those drivers who are under the influence of alcohol. By doing this, alcohol-related traffic accidents will be reduced if not totally diminished entirely (Lawyers.com 2012). The police officers are subjects to monitor and chase road violators. Once these violators are caught, they charged them with offenses that could retract their license to drive. It is interesting note that the government took some actions on this social problem.
Examination in Support of the Objections to the Thesis
The unending support of the groups like MADD, many laws were passed nationwide. These laws adapt and modify the categories and requirements including age limits and rank of offenses. The group called MADD initiates to pass Administrative License Revocation (ALR) laws to allow the arresting officers to take the license of drunk drivers. Even the blood tests and drug tests, the police officers do not have the exceptions. The government also passed zero tolerance laws that prohibited the drivers under 21. This efficient method to enforce the law over drunk driving came as a surprise. Potential re-enforcement for offending drivers has been monitored, and it has been done by putting up checkpoints. For effective enforcement, the police officers could use “checkpoints to supervise the road activities” (Greene 2009, p 4).
Response to the Objections to the Thesis
I believe the government should not only need to give programs to prevent and re-enforce the peace and order of the road and in the superhighway, but also they should have to educate the drivers and provide more seminars that are accessible to them. Meanwhile, the drivers and the citizens of the country must also cooperate to respond to the government’s programs. They ought to follow traffic rules and regulations in order to avoid accidents. Wherever they go even if there are no traffic signs and no police officers to monitor them in the highway, they must take full measure and responsibility for the safety of the passengers and other people in the street ways.
I strongly agree that these units in the society – the public, the private, and the concerned individuals, we can have a better nation, free from road accidents and other pieces of road violence (United Nations General Assembly, http://cdrwww.who.int/). I believe that we can achieve this goal if all of us will also contribute to the progress of the country.
References
Drunk Driving Articles. www.drunkdrivingarticles.org. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.
Drunk Driving Prevention Organization (DDPO). MADD - Los Angeles County Chapter. USA, 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.
FADD - Fathers against Drunk Driving. FADD - Fathers against Drunk Driving. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
Greene, Jeffrey. A Comparative Analysis of Checkpoints and Saturation Patrols, 2009, p. 4.
Hugh M. R. Drunk Driving Cost Over $132 Billion Annually in US, 2012. Print.
Hugh M. Robert Automobile Accidents Law Blog on Lawyers.com . 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
Lightner, C. MADD -Mothers against Drunk Driving. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.
Nations (http://www.unece.org/trans/roadsafe/docs/GA_R_57-309e.pdf, accessed 30 October 2003).
Stop Texts and Stop the wrecks. 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2013.
The Foundation for Ashley’s Dream. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.
United Nations General Assembly. Global road safety crisis: report of the Secretary-General (7 August 2003). New York, NY, United Nations (A/58/228).
