It was a Friday night in November when a young girl was invited to a bon fire at her friend’s house. She could not wait to get there and have a good time with her friends. When she arrived the party was already started. It was not the type of party she was expecting. There was beer everywhere. She was not a girl to drink. She found it gross and very dangerous.
Unfortunately, her best friend came up to her and handed her a beer and said “Let’s go, you can loosen up and have a good time tonight”. The young girl did not want to seem “un-cool” so she took the beer and started to sip it. She didn’t like the taste but after the first few gulps she started to not care about the taste anymore and became less nervous about the situation.
The young girl left the party thinking she was only “buzzed” and thought she could drive home perfectly fine. All her friends that she trusted to take her home were passed out or had already left and she needed to be home before her parents noticed she still wasn’t home at 2:00 A.M. So she got into her car thinking she wouldn’t have trouble getting home since it was only 10 minutes away. Though, when she woke up she was not safely sleeping in her bed but in the hospital. She had no idea how she got there, her mother was standing next to her crying while her father was hugging her telling her everything will be okay.
Drinking and driving does not just hurt the person that caused the problem. Sometimes the drunk driver runs off the road and hits something and hurts themselves and everyone that loves them but they do not realize that at the time. Other times the drunk driver hurts not only themselves and their loved ones; but also the love ones of the other drivers and passengers that maybe involved.
Drunk driving is a very big problem in America and has been for a long time. From 1982 to 2005 the percentage of deaths from drunk driving has dropped very much but is not completely fixed. In 1982 the percentage of deaths was 60%, though it has decreased in 2005 to 39%. The percentages for 2005 compared to 1982 is a great improvement, hopefully the numbers will keep lowering dramatically in the next couple years and continue to stay on a downward turn.
Drunk driving does not only hurt the people in the car(s), but others as well. Before you decide to drink THINK on what it can do to you and others. If you HAVE to drink make sure you can trust someone that will stay there with you and not drink to take you home safely. This problem is not only to the youth in America but also to adults as well. I used a young girl at the beginning to relate to the majority of the readers. Adults need to remember that they are not invincible as well. Some think they are “OK” to drive home but can get into an accident just as well.
Information found at:
http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/DrinkingandDriving.html
I liked that you addressed that drunk driving hurts your loved ones too and sometimes other people.
ReplyDeleteI like your approach to the topic, it seemed very effective in getting your point across. Very well done :)
ReplyDeleteI think drunk driving is still a huge problem, but its nice to see that at least its had dramatic improvement.
ReplyDeleteI like that the end of this post mentions adults. I think people emphasize teens so much but there aren't always adults who set good examples.
ReplyDeleteDrunk driving is never fun to hear about, but i am glad that it is improving.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post. I agree that more people should think about the effects of drinking. They shouldn't just worry about seeming "un-cool". If they are your real friends they will respect your opinion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Whitney, I like how it mentions adults because its not just teens with this problem, its also adults. Drunk driving is a big problem and its nice to see that it is improving.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that drunk driving is improving. I also agree with Carson on how adults are just as much of the problem as teens are, if not even more!
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear that drunk driving is improving. I also agree with Carson and Whitney on how the adults are contributing to the problem just as much as teens if not more!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree because my Grandpa was killed by a drunk driver. Drinking and driving is one of the most selfish things you can do.
ReplyDeleteAlways have a designated driver!
ReplyDeleteKnowing that drunk driving is improving is a relief.
ReplyDeleteI think this post conveys a good message and serves as a warning to all of us. Too many teenagers drink and drive thinking that nothing will happen.
ReplyDeleteJust remember the three main rules if you intend to drink. always have a SOBER ride there and back. Never leave your can, cup or whatever alone. Finally don't drink to act cool or because someone said you should, you'll end up doing something stupid that you'll regret and you'll just look stupid.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that drunk driving is improving but dislike that it still happens.
ReplyDeleteDrinking is never a good choice to begin with, but driving with it is just asking for trouble.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this information. I can certainly see a trend here; everyone eager to warn each other about the dangers of various activities associated with American life - drugs, drunk driving, adolescent sex, etc. Your concern is touching.
ReplyDeleteCertainly the USA has trouble with drinking. Although we are not the worst in the world (that dubious honor goes to Russia), the USA still suffers an unusually high number of fatalities due to alcohol per capita. This is especially interesting considering that in most of Europe, the drinking age is much lower, as is the per capita average of alcohol-related fatalities.
Unfortunately, attempts to lower the drinking age here in the USA have only resulted in higher casualty rates, esp. with drunk driving.
So what is the difference between our culture and European culture, that our society cannot seem to handle the younger drinking age?