Eliminating Drunk Drivers Essay
Eliminating Drunk Drivers
Drunk drivers are responsible for a large portion of alcohol-related crashes, injuries and fatalities. It is essential to identify people who are at risk of driving drunk to remove them from a situation that could cause harm to themselves or others. Offering treatment and altering the negative behavior can help these people be rehabilitated so they will not drive drunk (Hanson, 2012).
About half of the alcohol-related accident-related fatalities involved people driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.16 or higher. In 2010 alone 10,228 people were killed and 350,000 were injured. On average, every 52 minutes someone is killed and every 90 seconds, someone is injured in a drunk driving accident. Approximately …show more content…
one out of every three motor vehicle accidents is related to drunk driving and about one-third of those crashes are because of a repeat offender (Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 2012).
When ranked against the other states in the United States, New Jersey comes in at 16 out of 51 (with Washington D.C. counting as a separate record). The state with the lowest, coming in at 1 out of 51, is Utah. The state with the highest, coming in at 51, is South Carolina (Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 2012).
The Century Council, an organization committed to reducing drunk driving, promotes three steps to assisting in the reduction of drunk driving. The first step is to identify the people at risk for driving drunk. This is especially important for those who are regular drinkers and are at risk to habitually drive drunk. The identification of these people can help because rehabilitation can be presented and hopefully the negative behavior can be eliminated before it becomes a problem (Hanson, 2012).
The second step is to make sure the offenders are punished severely, to promote the idea that this behavior will not be tolerated. If people know that there is a stiff punishment for behaving in this manor, they might be swayed from acting that way. The third step is to provide treatment whether the people are identified prior to or after they commit the crime. By offering assistance into changing the behavior, people can learn how their actions are negatively affecting others and possibly change the way they view the crime (Hanson, 2012).
In New Jersey, strict laws have been put in place in an attempt to reduce the number of drunk drivers. If a person is caught driving under the influence they are hit with a number of penalties, including jail time, fines, loss of license and community service. A person suspected of driving under the influence can be tested through a series of road tests but ultimately the Blood Alcohol Concentration is what really determines if a person is legally drunk. The Blood Alcohol Concentration can be determined through blood work but is usually determined by using a Breathalyzer.
On a first offense, if a person is found with a Blood Alcohol Concentration between 0.08 and 0.10, they are hit with a number of penalties. These penalties include an automobile insurance surcharge of $1000 per year for three years, twelve hours at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center, three-month driver’s license suspension, up to 30 days in jail and an initial fine of up to $400. In addition, there are miscellaneous fines going to a drunk driving fund, a neighborhood services fund, fee to participate in the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and an Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Fund (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
If the Blood Alcohol Concentration is over 0.10% on the first offense, the fines become stiffer. The initial fine is between $300-$500 with additional fines for a drunk driving fund, neighborhood services fund, fee to participate in the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and an Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Fund. They are also required to pay the state a surcharge of $1000 a year for three years. They also can lose their license for up to one year and face up to thirty days in prison. They are required to participate in up to forty-eight hours of Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and they can even be required to have ignition Interlock installed in their vehicle for up to 2 years following their sentencing. The Interlock system also comes with additional fees and diagnostic testing every 60 days (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
Even though these are intense restrictions, some people do not learn their lesson the first time. In those cases, more sever penalties are put in place for repeat offenders. After ten years, a person who commits the crime a second time will be treated as if it were the first time. However, if a second offense is committed within the first ten years, the person will lose their license for two years and potentially spend up to 90 days in jail. They are required to have the ignition interlock system in their vehicle for up to five years. In addition, they are required to attend an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center for up to 48 hours with 30 days of community service. They are assessed fines that could total more than $4500 (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
If a person drives drunk, and it caught for a third times in less than ten years from the second offense will automatically lose their license for ten years. They will spend up to 180 days in jail and are required to have the ignition interlock system installed in their vehicle for up to thirteen years with up to 48 hours spent at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and up to 90 days of community service. They are also assessed fines in excess of $6000 (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
The state of New Jersey takes driving under the influence even more serious when it occurs in a school zone. For the first offense, the fine could be up to $800 and an initial license suspense of up to two years and up to 60 days in jail. For the second offense, the loss of license is up to four years and up to sixty days of community service. Jail time could reach 180 days and the fines are up to $2000. For the third offense, the loss of license is twenty years with 180 days in jail and a $2000 (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
In order to make an attempt to improve driver safety, the state has implemented programs, including a probationary driver school program. This program becomes mandatory if a person driving in their first two years is convicted of two or more moving violations. The program involves a four-hour class and a $150 fee. A driver improvement program is also available to drivers who want to avoid a thirty-day license suspension because they accumulated more than twelve points on their license due to driving violations. This is a three-hour class with a $150 fee. While both great options to improve driving safety, if the person commits a moving violation within one year of the class, they will lose their license (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
Since 1999, New Jersey’s Department of Law and Public Safety has campaigned a program entitled “Over the Limit, Under Arrest”. This program has police officers looking for drunk drivers during peak seasons. An especially important time of year is during the holidays and during the summer (Harold J. Cassidy and Associates, 2011).
The best way to prevent drunk driving, however, starts with the person thinking of drinking. When planning a night away from home, where you will need a ride home later, plans should be set accordingly so that no one who has been drinking gets behind the wheel. Either a designated driver should be implemented or a plan to take a cab should be implemented.
There are also cab companies dedicated to reducing drunk driving. 1-800-TAXI-CAB is one of those companies. They are committed to helping prevent drunk driving by offering their services to those who need a ride home. With locations across the United States, people just need to call their toll free number and request a cab in their area (1-800-TAXI-CAB, Inc., 2012). iRideHome is a mobile app that offers users cab companies who can provide a ride home after a night of drinking. Users select an area right on their phone using the application and a call is then placed to the closest cab company. People who have an iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile or Palm OS are able to use the mobile app (SaintPatricksDay, LLC, 2012).
During certain times of the year, New Years Eve for example, the American Automobile Association (AAA) offers free rides home to anyone who had too much to drink during their New Years festivities.
A person interested would call a toll free number and a ride would be given to ensure no one under the influence gets behind the wheel. For those who do not want to leave their car behind, they can call a different toll free number to get a tow truck to tow their vehicle home, within a certain number of miles. This service, called Tipsy Tow, is available on numerous holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Labor Day and Memorial Day (Deninno, 2011).
When hosting a party, it is the host’s responsibility just as much as their guests’ to ensure everyone gets home safely. Letting someone leave your house when they appear too intoxicated to drive is putting people at risk. The fault of any accident as a result of a host’s negligence is just as much their fault as the driver.
To successfully prevent the problem of drunk driving, there are simple steps to take. By enforcing penalties to those who do chose to drink and drive, it can help to prevent them from becoming repeat offenders. Requiring the interlock ignition system will also aid in preventing repeat offenders from
driving.
Employers can step in by stripping individuals with DUI and DWIs of certain responsibility and work privileges due to their poor decisions. Companies can also require employees to participate in health surveys that could potentially reveal a person at risk of driving under the influence.
The most effective tool, however, begins with a person’s decision on whether they are going to get behind the wheel after they have been drinking. A simple decision not to drive is the most successful way to prevent driving drunk. References
1-800-TAXI-CAB, Inc. (2012). Alcohol responsibility overview. Retrieved from 1-800-TAXI-CAB: http://www.1800taxicab.com/alcohol-safety.htm
Deninno, N. (2011, December 28). AAA tipsy tow: How to get a free ride home on New Year 's Eve. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/aaa-tipsy-tow-how-get-free-ride-home-new-year’s-eve-388434
Hanson, P. D. (2012). Drunk driving: We can prevent it. Retrieved from http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/DrivingIssues/1043336820.html
Harold J. Cassidy and Associates. (2011, December 16). New Jersey 's statewide effort to reduce drunk driving. Retrieved from http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2011/Dec/499499.html
Mothers Against Drunk Driving. (2012). Drunk driving. Retrieved from Mothers Against Drunk Driving: http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. (2007). Court imposed fines and penalties. Retrieved from http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/Violations/DI-258.PDF
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. (2007). Driver improvement program. Retrieved from http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/driverImprovement.htm
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. (2007). DUI: Driving Under the Influence. Retrieved from http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/dui.htm
SaintPatricksDay, LLC. (2012). Retrieved from iRideHome: http://iridehome.com/web/mission.php
Drunk drivers are responsible for a large portion of alcohol-related crashes, injuries and fatalities. It is essential to identify people who are at risk of driving drunk to remove them from a situation that could cause harm to themselves or others. Offering treatment and altering the negative behavior can help these people be rehabilitated so they will not drive drunk (Hanson, 2012).
About half of the alcohol-related accident-related fatalities involved people driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.16 or higher. In 2010 alone 10,228 people were killed and 350,000 were injured. On average, every 52 minutes someone is killed and every 90 seconds, someone is injured in a drunk driving accident. Approximately …show more content…
one out of every three motor vehicle accidents is related to drunk driving and about one-third of those crashes are because of a repeat offender (Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 2012).
When ranked against the other states in the United States, New Jersey comes in at 16 out of 51 (with Washington D.C. counting as a separate record). The state with the lowest, coming in at 1 out of 51, is Utah. The state with the highest, coming in at 51, is South Carolina (Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 2012).
The Century Council, an organization committed to reducing drunk driving, promotes three steps to assisting in the reduction of drunk driving. The first step is to identify the people at risk for driving drunk. This is especially important for those who are regular drinkers and are at risk to habitually drive drunk. The identification of these people can help because rehabilitation can be presented and hopefully the negative behavior can be eliminated before it becomes a problem (Hanson, 2012).
The second step is to make sure the offenders are punished severely, to promote the idea that this behavior will not be tolerated. If people know that there is a stiff punishment for behaving in this manor, they might be swayed from acting that way. The third step is to provide treatment whether the people are identified prior to or after they commit the crime. By offering assistance into changing the behavior, people can learn how their actions are negatively affecting others and possibly change the way they view the crime (Hanson, 2012).
In New Jersey, strict laws have been put in place in an attempt to reduce the number of drunk drivers. If a person is caught driving under the influence they are hit with a number of penalties, including jail time, fines, loss of license and community service. A person suspected of driving under the influence can be tested through a series of road tests but ultimately the Blood Alcohol Concentration is what really determines if a person is legally drunk. The Blood Alcohol Concentration can be determined through blood work but is usually determined by using a Breathalyzer.
On a first offense, if a person is found with a Blood Alcohol Concentration between 0.08 and 0.10, they are hit with a number of penalties. These penalties include an automobile insurance surcharge of $1000 per year for three years, twelve hours at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center, three-month driver’s license suspension, up to 30 days in jail and an initial fine of up to $400. In addition, there are miscellaneous fines going to a drunk driving fund, a neighborhood services fund, fee to participate in the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and an Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Fund (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
If the Blood Alcohol Concentration is over 0.10% on the first offense, the fines become stiffer. The initial fine is between $300-$500 with additional fines for a drunk driving fund, neighborhood services fund, fee to participate in the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and an Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Fund. They are also required to pay the state a surcharge of $1000 a year for three years. They also can lose their license for up to one year and face up to thirty days in prison. They are required to participate in up to forty-eight hours of Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and they can even be required to have ignition Interlock installed in their vehicle for up to 2 years following their sentencing. The Interlock system also comes with additional fees and diagnostic testing every 60 days (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
Even though these are intense restrictions, some people do not learn their lesson the first time. In those cases, more sever penalties are put in place for repeat offenders. After ten years, a person who commits the crime a second time will be treated as if it were the first time. However, if a second offense is committed within the first ten years, the person will lose their license for two years and potentially spend up to 90 days in jail. They are required to have the ignition interlock system in their vehicle for up to five years. In addition, they are required to attend an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center for up to 48 hours with 30 days of community service. They are assessed fines that could total more than $4500 (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
If a person drives drunk, and it caught for a third times in less than ten years from the second offense will automatically lose their license for ten years. They will spend up to 180 days in jail and are required to have the ignition interlock system installed in their vehicle for up to thirteen years with up to 48 hours spent at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center and up to 90 days of community service. They are also assessed fines in excess of $6000 (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
The state of New Jersey takes driving under the influence even more serious when it occurs in a school zone. For the first offense, the fine could be up to $800 and an initial license suspense of up to two years and up to 60 days in jail. For the second offense, the loss of license is up to four years and up to sixty days of community service. Jail time could reach 180 days and the fines are up to $2000. For the third offense, the loss of license is twenty years with 180 days in jail and a $2000 (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
In order to make an attempt to improve driver safety, the state has implemented programs, including a probationary driver school program. This program becomes mandatory if a person driving in their first two years is convicted of two or more moving violations. The program involves a four-hour class and a $150 fee. A driver improvement program is also available to drivers who want to avoid a thirty-day license suspension because they accumulated more than twelve points on their license due to driving violations. This is a three-hour class with a $150 fee. While both great options to improve driving safety, if the person commits a moving violation within one year of the class, they will lose their license (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, 2007).
Since 1999, New Jersey’s Department of Law and Public Safety has campaigned a program entitled “Over the Limit, Under Arrest”. This program has police officers looking for drunk drivers during peak seasons. An especially important time of year is during the holidays and during the summer (Harold J. Cassidy and Associates, 2011).
The best way to prevent drunk driving, however, starts with the person thinking of drinking. When planning a night away from home, where you will need a ride home later, plans should be set accordingly so that no one who has been drinking gets behind the wheel. Either a designated driver should be implemented or a plan to take a cab should be implemented.
There are also cab companies dedicated to reducing drunk driving. 1-800-TAXI-CAB is one of those companies. They are committed to helping prevent drunk driving by offering their services to those who need a ride home. With locations across the United States, people just need to call their toll free number and request a cab in their area (1-800-TAXI-CAB, Inc., 2012). iRideHome is a mobile app that offers users cab companies who can provide a ride home after a night of drinking. Users select an area right on their phone using the application and a call is then placed to the closest cab company. People who have an iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile or Palm OS are able to use the mobile app (SaintPatricksDay, LLC, 2012).
During certain times of the year, New Years Eve for example, the American Automobile Association (AAA) offers free rides home to anyone who had too much to drink during their New Years festivities.
A person interested would call a toll free number and a ride would be given to ensure no one under the influence gets behind the wheel. For those who do not want to leave their car behind, they can call a different toll free number to get a tow truck to tow their vehicle home, within a certain number of miles. This service, called Tipsy Tow, is available on numerous holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Labor Day and Memorial Day (Deninno, 2011).
When hosting a party, it is the host’s responsibility just as much as their guests’ to ensure everyone gets home safely. Letting someone leave your house when they appear too intoxicated to drive is putting people at risk. The fault of any accident as a result of a host’s negligence is just as much their fault as the driver.
To successfully prevent the problem of drunk driving, there are simple steps to take. By enforcing penalties to those who do chose to drink and drive, it can help to prevent them from becoming repeat offenders. Requiring the interlock ignition system will also aid in preventing repeat offenders from
driving.
Employers can step in by stripping individuals with DUI and DWIs of certain responsibility and work privileges due to their poor decisions. Companies can also require employees to participate in health surveys that could potentially reveal a person at risk of driving under the influence.
The most effective tool, however, begins with a person’s decision on whether they are going to get behind the wheel after they have been drinking. A simple decision not to drive is the most successful way to prevent driving drunk. References
1-800-TAXI-CAB, Inc. (2012). Alcohol responsibility overview. Retrieved from 1-800-TAXI-CAB: http://www.1800taxicab.com/alcohol-safety.htm
Deninno, N. (2011, December 28). AAA tipsy tow: How to get a free ride home on New Year 's Eve. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/aaa-tipsy-tow-how-get-free-ride-home-new-year’s-eve-388434
Hanson, P. D. (2012). Drunk driving: We can prevent it. Retrieved from http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/DrivingIssues/1043336820.html
Harold J. Cassidy and Associates. (2011, December 16). New Jersey 's statewide effort to reduce drunk driving. Retrieved from http://knowledgebase.findlaw.com/kb/2011/Dec/499499.html
Mothers Against Drunk Driving. (2012). Drunk driving. Retrieved from Mothers Against Drunk Driving: http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. (2007). Court imposed fines and penalties. Retrieved from http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/Violations/DI-258.PDF
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. (2007). Driver improvement program. Retrieved from http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/driverImprovement.htm
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. (2007). DUI: Driving Under the Influence. Retrieved from http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/dui.htm
SaintPatricksDay, LLC. (2012). Retrieved from iRideHome: http://iridehome.com/web/mission.php