Introduction
Drunk driving is still a major problem in several parts of the world. Even though most of the countries penalize offenders by having their car license suspended, the accident rate is not decreasing significantly (Wald, 2006). This is because even if a person’s license is suspended, he can still be able to drive a car as long as he will not be apprehended by the authorities. Because of the ineffectiveness of such regulation, authorities nowadays have been finding new ways to reduce the occurrence of drunk driving, and consequently, reduce the number of related accidents. One potential solution proposed is through the use of modern technology, which enables vehicles to detect the alcohol level of the drivers through breathing analysis (Walford, 2014).
Body
The reason as to why many people drink nowadays is because the alcohol industry has instilled into their minds that drinking alcohol is essential in special occasions, but in a responsible way (Evans, 2004). This kind of advertisement only encourages people to drink, and the ‘responsibly’ word is just an assurance. As a result, people have been convinced that special occasions are not complete without alcoholic drinks. Drinkers cannot assess themselves correctly if their alcohol consumption can impair their driving attention most of the time. Therefore, they will insist on driving under the influence of alcohol, which is the cause of deaths and damages to many lives and properties (Alcohol Abuse, 2010).
If the offenders cannot be stopped by license suspension and revocation, fines, and imprisonment, then their cars must be the ones to be stopped instead. This is the new proposal that is emerging in the policy implementation nowadays. According to officials, the new technology not only forcefully stops drunk drivers once detected, but it will also prevent the offenders from repeating the same violation (Wald, 2006). It is because Interlock Ignition, the proposed solution, is able to detect the alcohol state of the drivers through its breath analyzer. When the driver is detected as having an intolerable alcohol level, the car itself will shut down and will not start again (Walford, 2014).
This kind of solution must be promoted, especially in car manufacturing and business. Not only will it significantly reduce the number of drunk-driving offenders, but it will also prevent more road accidents. A Study showed that at least one person dies every hour in the United States due to drunk-driving related incidents (Alcohol Abuse, 2010). This only showed that drunk-driving is not just a simple issue that must be overlooked. Many lives are at stake all day long because of the irresponsibility of people who cannot control themselves from drinking even though they know that they have to drive after the occasion. The currently imposed regulations regarding drunk-driving is already not enough to reduce the occurrence in significant numbers. Fortunately, interlock ignition technology is continually being developed even in this time. According to Smouse (2015), interlock ignition is added with a feature that detects alcohol level of drivers just by touching the starter mechanism of the car. In this way, the driver will not be able to advance further in the road, and will reduce the risks in causing an accident. Thus, the technology is an effective tool to solve problems regarding drunk-driving. As a proof of its significance, the law-governing body has required the 49 states in America to have their cars installed with interlock ignition system (Wald, 2006).
The traditional laws, likewise, still shows signs of effectiveness in reducing the number of drunk-driving related incidents in many parts of the world. Suspending the driver’s license of the offender does not mean that they are being stopped from driving, or drunk-driving at all. In fact, at most 75 percent of drunk drivers with suspended licenses are still driving (Alcohol Abuse, 2010). This means that they are not being subdued by the law, which further implies that the current regulation does not hold a strict implementation or intolerance of violation. On the other hand, immediate, permanent dismissal of driver’s license has provided relatively higher impacts in a positive way than suspension. According to a study, immediate revocation of driving license of first time offenders reduces the drunk-driving related accidents by almost five percent (Rooney, 2007). However, though there is still a significant decrease in the percentage, compared to the reduction provided by interlock ignition systems, five percent is a small figure. This is because according to Walford (2014), interlock ignition system has reduced the figures by up to 43 percent in terms of death by accident. Imagine the huge advantage of this solution compared to just to the old regulation. Not only that it makes the safety of the drivers and other road users more assured, but this will also prevent damage to property, which might cause future traffic delay for road users who will pass by the damaged road.
The study shows that the latest upgrade of the system will require car owners to spend money for the price and the maintenance cost of the system (Smouse, 2015). However, even if the cost cannot be prevented, the safety of the road users must be the top priority among all factors. Even if the driver had drunk in tolerable amounts, there is still non-assurance that the driving is safe and the effects of alcohol will not resurface. After all, it is not only the amount of alcohol that is contributing to the impairment of senses and kinetic response when driving. Age, current health conditions, and frequency of drinking alcoholic drinks are also significant factors of impairment (National Institutes of Health, 2004). These factors also imply that focusing only on the behavior of the drinkers will not completely solve the problems related to drunk-driving accidents. Instead, the condition of the vehicle should also be taken into consideration, and that is what interlock ignition system and other similar technologies are concerned.
Therefore, it is more efficient if the vehicle itself is to be upgraded instead of focusing more on controlling the behavior of the offenders by making them follow the rules and regulations. But that does not mean that the regulations currently implemented are to be removed completely; they will not be changed. The thing that matters now is the further reduction of drunk-driving related incidents and improving the safety of the road users. It is that suspending and revoking the driver’s license are not enough solutions. That is why the improvement of the interlock ignition system should be the concern of the authorities today. Better yet, other new approaches can also be introduced as long as they are made for preventing more future accidents. But as of now, the interlock ignition system must be developed in such a way that it will accurately detect the alcohol level of the drivers, as well as to pioneer the future advancements in providing safety for all road users.
Conclusion
“A car is a lethal weapon when operated by a drunk driver” (Walford, 2014). Therefore, even if drunk-driving is made because there are no other options, or if an accident occurs because of some mistakes related to drunk-driving, both cases should not be tolerated. The offenders must be punished accordingly because choosing to drive while under the influence of liquor is considered as irresponsibility. However, such moral statements are not nearly enough to make people realize that drunk-driving is an illegal act at any situation. What is more important is to anticipate such disobedience of the people against the rules. In this case, the modification of the vehicle will be the best possible option, especially if the countermeasures are installed and cannot be deactivated.
References
Alcohol Abuse. (2010). Societal Effects of Drunk Driving. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from http://www.alcoholsubstanceabuse.com/research-news/societal-effects-of-drunk-driving/
Evans, L. (2008). Death in Traffic: Why Are the Ethical Issues Ignored? Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology, 2(1).
National Institute of Health. (2004). ALCOHOL’S DAMAGING EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN. Alcohol Alert, (63).
Rooney, K. (2007). Revoking Licenses Deters Drunk Driving. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1646906,00.html
Smouse, B. (2015). New car tech could stop drunken drivers. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/07/06/new-technology-to-prevent- drunk-driving/29125417/
Wald, M. L. (2006). A New Strategy to Discourage Driving Drunk. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/us/20drunk.html?fta=y
Walford, L. (2014). How ignition interlock devices can stop drunk drivers in their tracks. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from http://www.pcworld.com/article/2362002/how-ignition- interlock-devices-can-stop-drunk-drivers-in-their-tracks.html
