Essay about Drinking and Driving

Words: 1353
Pages: 6

Driving under the influence has affected many people's lives and families. Today I would like to talk to you about the problems of drinking and driving, and why it is a concern for all of us. Driving under the influence is one of the most common and dangerous situations you can put yourself or someone else in. The fact is that drinking and driving is a huge deal and can leave a long trail of broken dreams and hearts. If you drink and drive, not only are you putting yourself at risk, but your passengers and the pedestrians outside of your vehicle. According to the most recent statistics by the National Commission Against Drunk Driving states that 17,000 Americans die each year in alcohol- related traffic crashes and 600,000 Americans
Teenagers and young adults are constantly bombarded with alcohol. From the funny beer commercials with the beautiful women who drink and from friends and other outside influences it is getting harder for kids to resist the lure of alcohol and say no. More than 40% of teenage deaths occur in motor vehicle accidents 38.9 % were alcohol related crashes. (MADD, 2003). Just last year alone 1877 teenagers died as a result of drunk driving (MADD, 2003). These are young people who could have possibly grown up to be the next Michel Jordan or John F. Kennedy. These kids' lives were cut short because of alcohol. Did you know that it is believed that the average young person will have seen 100,00 beer commercials between the age of 2 and 18? Teens and other young people are over-represented in drunk driving accidents because they tend to be relatively inexperienced drivers, inexperienced consumers of alcohol, more likely to use illegal drugs, and they have a false sense of invincibility. People 16 to 24 years old are involved with about 28% of all alcohol-related driving accidents, although they make up 14% of the population. Fortunately driving accidents are declining among the young people. Deaths associated with young drunk drivers have dropped 47% in the last 15 years. Alcohol is a big part of society and the majority of Americans