Research Paper on Drinking & Driving Essay

Course Project_Final Draft A real-world problem that I have conducted my research on was drinking and driving in teens. Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver (cdc.gov). Each year there are thousands of deaths because teens seem to believe they are invincible even to drinking, they get behind the wheel, and well you can imagine the consequences to that, they don’t know they don’t only put their lives at risk but those on the road as well. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion. Conducting research can lead you to so many gateways of knowledge you never could have imaged, this especially includes statistics. You never really know about anything until you are able to see numbers, information, charts or even professional speakers giving presentations based on information that is proven to be true do to these real world problems. Statistics is a math that can give you world-wide range of numbers. Statistical methods that have helped me see my research into a bigger picture were the statistical graphics, such as dot plots, bar graphs, pie graphs, etc. A little bit of describing, exploring and comparing data came in handy as well. Data collection is the best way to be able to see or show an audience your statistics, I couldn’t have looked up a better resource than what I did, I used www.cdc.gov (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). I liked this resource not only because I know it’s a reliable website since it’s a government based website but also because its gives you clear numbers, years, percentages but also visual statistical graphs that display their data. In 2010, 10,228 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. In that same year, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, that’s one of the 112 million self-reported assurances of alcohol-impaired driving each year. With all this information it makes you think who is all at risk? The main top categories of people who are at most risk of getting behind the  wheel un der the influence are young people, motorcyclists as well as drivers with prior driving while impaired convictions such as a DUI. Young people are at risk because the levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is at greater risk than those of older people. Drivers with levels of 0.08% or higher involved in fatal crashes in 2010 were one of every 3 were between the ages of 21-24 which is 34%. The next two largest groups were the ages of 25-34 and then 35-44 and from 25-44 age group there is a lower percent tile of accidents, which can tell you teens are at great risk. Motorcyclists are at great risk because 28% of fatal crashes in 2010 were alcohol impaired motorcyclists between the ages of 40 or older. For those drivers that have had a prior driving impaired conviction are four times more like to have a BAC of 0.08% or higher of involvement in fatal crashes due to the same fact that they have done the action in their life before. Undergoing such scary and cruel information many of us think what is happening to the world?! What can we do about it?! There are many laws and actions trying to be done but all I can do is to think a little more and see what else can be done besides just increasing the legal drinking age, or taking away driver licenses of those driving while intoxicated. We have the option of parents or friends to not allow your friend to drive their car if they know they will be drinking or if you know you won’t be driving you can indicate yourself as the DD (designated driver). Other options that I believe can really help is have the media promoting more on the NO DRINKING AND DRIVING, instead of just promoting the alcoholic beverages on TV, radio etc. The biggest things that I believe that can make a difference is to come up with some kind of technology that can be installed in the car that can help detect or see if the driver is ok to drive the vehicle. Sprint has this new sort of technology that goes along with the NO TEXTING AND DRIVING, this happens by when the driver getting into the car, the cellphone shuts down automatically and it won’t come on until the car is in a complete none motion and engine off, pretty neat huh? We as Americans need to think about the box and realize there are bigger things out there causing great effects and so we then must build bigger and better.