Running head: PERSUASIVE RESEARCH PAPER 1

Persuasive Paper Part 1: A Problem Exists

Vrenda Parham

Professor Robert McKinley

ENG215: Research and Writing

February 5, 2018
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Should Driving Under the Influence laws be changed?

There are more and more accidents occurring as a result of driving under the influence and the

Driving Under the Influence (DUI) laws should be changed so drunk drivers can receive a tough

punishment. Some people are quick to say they made a mistake when they get caught drinking

and driving. Mistakes can happen but there is a difference between mistake and decision. Some

mistakes are inevitable but decisions are preventable. Driving under the influence is preventable

when people look at the seriousness of the offense when the punishment is severe. Driving under

the influence is a serious offense that has affected a lot of people prompting major changes to the

current DUI law. Tougher laws can lessen the possibilities of people over indulging in alcohol

and then choosing to drive knowing that it is dangerous and against the law. DUI accidents have

been the cause of many deaths (Dula, Dwywer, & LeVerne, 2007). The families on both sides of

any accident due to a DUI suffer greatly and stiffer regulations on driving under the influence

can produce different outcomes. Since the beginning of automobiles; drunk driving has been a

problem in the United States (Zaloshnja, Miller, & Blincoe, 2013). A person is injured by

a drunken driver almost every ninety seconds. Driving drunk costs the United States 132 billion

dollars a year. The history and status of driving under the influence remains an intense topic.

History and Status of Issue

Drunk driving has been a problem in the United States since the beginning of automobiles;

however, it became an important social issue during the mid-nineteen eighties. New Jersey

enacted the first law in 1906 that specifically criminalized driving an automobile while

intoxicated (Bouffard & Bouffard, 2011). Drunk driving is illegal in all fifty states. Although

surveys have documented a decline in recent years, consumption rates remain highest from late
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teen years to the late twenties (Dula, Dwywer, & LeVerne, 2007). A four percent increase

occurred between 1994 and 1995 among young adults of the age twenty-one and over despite the

long-term decline since 1982 in alcohol related traffic deaths (Dula, Dwywer, & LeVerne, 2007).

In America, twenty-seven people die every day in an impaired driving fatality that involves

alcohol every fifty-three minutes (Bouffard & Bouffard, 2011). Blood alcohol concentration

laws vary in different states. A drunk driver will drive eighty times on average under the

influence before their first arrest (Dula, Dwywer, & LeVerne, 2007). People who abuse alcohol

hurt everyone around them, endanger public safety, and create carnage on the nation’s highways

(Zaloshnja, Miller, & Blincoe, 2013). All kinds of problems can arise from driving under the

influence.

Overview of the Problem to Address

Driving under the influence of alcohol has affected and devastated countless people’s lives. A

closer look at accidents that occurs with teen drinking needs to be addressed in school settings.

The more information that is made available to parents, pre-teens, and alcohol distributors will

increase awareness to others who have not been affected personally by DUI laws. Driving under

the influence in the United States continues to be a problem despite the many efforts to reduce

drunk driving. About 10,000 people die in the United States each year due to drunk drivers

(Dula, Dwywer, & LeVerne, 2007). People continue to drink alcohol and drive because the laws

are not harsh enough to make people who over drink to rethink before getting behind the wheel

knowing they are intoxicated. There seems to be no end for teenage drinking. Problems continue

to arise as driving under the influence laws are being reviewed by people who have been hurt

directly and indirectly by a drunk driver.

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State Problems

There are numerous problems that have surfaced due to drinking and driving. Millions of

people drink alcohol worldwide. Drinking and driving crashes continues to haunt innocent

people on the nation’s highways (Zaloshnja, Miller, & Blincoe, 2013). Many People do not

understand the danger that they put others in when they drink and drive. The number of deaths

each year, ineffective laws against drinking and driving, and teenage drinking are three problems

that need more focus as driving under the influence remains an important issue.

Deaths from DUI

The number of deaths from drinking and driving continues to be a problem. Driving under the

influence of alcohol has affected and devastated countless people’s lives directly and indirectly.

Thousands of people die from drunk driving every year (Dula, Dwywer, & LeVerne, 2007).

Deaths and injuries of innocent people can be lowered by stiffer first offenses for driving under

the influence. People that make the choice themselves not to drink and drive create a safer

environment although stiffer laws could help prevent deaths from DUI.

Ineffective DUI Laws

Different states have different laws as it applies to driving under the influence. The penalties

for drunk driving vary from state-to-state and jurisdiction to jurisdiction (Bouffard & Bouffard,

2011). The law permits a first offender in a driving under the influence case to continue

operating a motor vehicle after conviction, this is negligent on behalf of the law because it

excuses the recklessness of the offenders’ action. Drunk drivers who are not imprisoned on the

first offense have a disregard for the safety of others (Bouffard & Bouffard, 2011). Ineffective

DUI laws also contribute to teen drinking (Bouffard & Bouffard, 2011).
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Teenage Drinking

Drunk driving is a serious issue in young people’s society. Alcohol consumption rates from

late teen years to the late twenties remain high, although surveys have acknowledged a decline in

recent years. There is a high rate of traffic accidents due to teen drinking. There have been daily

news reports that underage drinkers were the cause of drunk driver incidents. Drinking alcohol

has become a daily activity for many teens. One out of every ten teens drinks and drives (Dula,

Dwywer, & LeVerne, 2007).

Conclusion

Drunk driving is a reflection of poor judgment that impairs thought processes and moral

behavior and could result in fatalities. The second cause of car accidents in the United States is

drunk driving (Dula, Dwywer, & LeVerne, 2007). Many People do not understand the danger

that they put others in when they drink and drive. Drunk driving is considered a serious crime in

every state. Most people underestimate the seriousness of driving while under the influence.

Driving under the influence and causing havoc in innocent lives can be detrimental. Increase

awareness about driving under the influence can help find solutions to drunk driving.
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References

Bouffard, J., Bouffard, L. (2011). What works (or doesn’t) in a DUI court? An example of

expedited case processing. Journal of Criminal Justice. 4 (1), 320-328.

Dula, C. Dwywer, W., & LeVerne, G. (2007). Policing the drunk driver: Measuring 1

enforcement involvement in reducing alcohol-impaired driving. Journal of Research.

38(1), 267-272.

Zaloshnja, E., Miller, T. R., & Blincoe, L. J. (2013). Costs of alcohol-involved crashes, United

States, 2010. Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, 57: 3–12.