We Must Reduce Drunk Driving

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Recommended: Proposals for stricter drinking and driving laws

Drunk driving takes 28 lives each day, which accumulates to over 10,000 people each year in just the United States (MADD Statistics). In 2011, 316 people died in Ohio due to drunk driving (The Century Council – Ohio). Alcohol by definition is “depressant derived from the fermentation of natural sugars in fruits, vegetables and grains” (What is Alcohol). Alcohol is considered a drug and in excess can be deadly not only to those consuming it but also to those around them. The higher one’s blood alcohol content, or BAC, is the more likely they are to hurt themselves and the people around them. There are guidelines set to determine how high one’s blood alcohol content can be to legally drive, but enforcing these laws can be a struggle. In Ohio, if one is caught drunk driving for the first time they are only forced to be in jail for 3 to 6 days but can choose to do 3 days of driver intervention instead (Ohio OVI Laws). These laws are not strict enough, although there is a fee that goes along with this jail time these punishments are not enough. In Ohio, half of the people arrested for drunk driving each year are repeat offenders (DUI and DWI in Ohio). Right now, the punishment for drunk driving is not strict enough, for all offenses jail time should be increased to prevent repeat offenses and to protect lives.
To understand fully what drunk driving is, one first must understand what it is to be legally drunk. To determine how drunk someone is a blood alcohol content level is taken. Blood alcohol content is normally taken by a breathalyzer in drunk driving situations, but can also be determined by urine samples and blood samples. A person’s blood alcohol content can very greatly depending on their gender and weight. Women’s blood alcoh...

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...923.03 Complicity." Lawriter - ORC - 2923.03 Complicity. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. .
"Ohio OVI Laws." Dui.drivinglaws.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2013.
"On DWI Laws in Other Countries." On DWI Laws in Other Countries. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .
Portman, Janet. "Driving on a Suspended License in OH." Criminal Defense Lawyer. Com. NOLO, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. .
"State by State Drunk Driving Laws." About.com Alcoholism. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2013.
Witheridge, Janet, and Robyn Robertson. Drinking and Driving Report. Rep. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Drinking and Driving Report. World Wide Brewing Alliance. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.

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