Drunk Drivers Should Be Imprisoned on the First Offense
Drunk Drivers Should Be Imprisoned On The First Offense
Drunk Drivers accounted for 32% of all traffic fatalities last year, which amounts to someone being killed every 45 minutes by a drunk driver. The penalties for most states is just temporary suspension of driver’s licenses for up to 1 year, and to only pay associated fines accessed by the court. Usually, drunken driving offenders are back on the road driving within a year, and with the assistance of a good attorney with weeks. Although, the product of a drunken driving accident may have ended in a fatality of an innocent motorist, the offenders are usually only charged with Manslaughter if that. Several organizations have been created throughout the years to fight for tougher penalties for drunk drivers. However, the federal government needs to impose mandated harsher penalties, such as 6 months up to 1 year of prison time for first offenders, and then maybe people would think twice about drinking and driving. Also, all states needs to impose even tougher penalties for first offenders under the age of 21, by revoking their driver’s license until the age of 25 years old.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have been tracking drunk driving related statistics since 1982, and noted at that time drunken driving accidents were lower by 26% than they were in 2009. This should automatically raise concerns for state and federal legislatures to impose new laws that severe punish offenders. Several groups has emerged that support tougher penalties as well, such as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), Students Against Destructive Decision (SADD), The Century Council, and Bikers Against Drunk Drivers (BADD). These groups represent victims of families that have lost a loved one in alcohol-related accidents, and is currently seeking legislature against tougher penalties for drunk drivers. These groups believe just as I, that there needs to be a congruency among all states on tougher
Drunk Drivers accounted for 32% of all traffic fatalities last year, which amounts to someone being killed every 45 minutes by a drunk driver. The penalties for most states is just temporary suspension of driver’s licenses for up to 1 year, and to only pay associated fines accessed by the court. Usually, drunken driving offenders are back on the road driving within a year, and with the assistance of a good attorney with weeks. Although, the product of a drunken driving accident may have ended in a fatality of an innocent motorist, the offenders are usually only charged with Manslaughter if that. Several organizations have been created throughout the years to fight for tougher penalties for drunk drivers. However, the federal government needs to impose mandated harsher penalties, such as 6 months up to 1 year of prison time for first offenders, and then maybe people would think twice about drinking and driving. Also, all states needs to impose even tougher penalties for first offenders under the age of 21, by revoking their driver’s license until the age of 25 years old.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have been tracking drunk driving related statistics since 1982, and noted at that time drunken driving accidents were lower by 26% than they were in 2009. This should automatically raise concerns for state and federal legislatures to impose new laws that severe punish offenders. Several groups has emerged that support tougher penalties as well, such as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), Students Against Destructive Decision (SADD), The Century Council, and Bikers Against Drunk Drivers (BADD). These groups represent victims of families that have lost a loved one in alcohol-related accidents, and is currently seeking legislature against tougher penalties for drunk drivers. These groups believe just as I, that there needs to be a congruency among all states on tougher
References: Website: www.thecenturycouncil.org. Date accessed 12/08/2010. Website: www.dui.drivinglaws.org. Date accessed 12/08/2010. Website: www.nhtsa.com. Date accessed 12/08/2010.