Drunk driving is a serious problem that continues to take thousands of deaths each year. Too many lives have been lost to drunk driving. A death from drunk driving does not only affect the victim but it affects everyone around them such as family and friends. One night, one drink, one mistake is all it takes for drunk driving to take its toll. There are many solutions to prevent drunk driving, but they will only work if we put them into play.

Every 90 seconds someone is injured by the cause of drunk driving. (Johnston) Drunk driving is not something that happens occasionally. It happens everyday of the year. A lot of times, drunk driving victims aren’t the ones who have been drinking. They could be driving home from work one day and get hit by someone who has been drinking. How would you feel if you took someones life? You would have to deal with it for the rest of your existence. However, some people believe we are making too much of drunk driving. But take a look at these statistics. In 2011, 9878 people died of a drunk driving accident. 50% to 75% of people who have been convicted of drunk driving still drive with an expired license. (Johnston) When we think about drunk driving, we think about teens. Teens are not the only ones who drink and drive but they are mostly the ones who make the wrong choices when it comes to drinking. One reason why teens drink and drive is because of peer pressure. Teens often get sucked in to drinking. They feel that it is “cool” to drink and drive. The one thing that teens don’t realize is how much one drink can do. One drink can change a life or often many lives in a matter of minutes. In the long run, drunk driving is a serious problem and needs to be prevented.

There are multiple solutions to prevent drunk driving. Sobriety checkpoints are a successful way to help stop drunk drivers. More sobriety checkpoints increase the chance of people getting arrested for drunk driving. If more arrests are taking place, it causes people to be more cautious on the roads. Sobriety checkpoints are also legal if conducted properly. They are an effective and safe way to stop drunk drivers from causing trouble on the roads. In opposition, some believe that sobriety points are too random. In reality, sobriety checkpoints do more good than bad. It is just another way to stop drunk drivers from creating more deaths on roads. Another effective way to prevent drunk driving is to have a designated driver when out drinking. When out drinking, a designated driver is someone who is willing to drive home their drunken friends. Designated drivers prevent an impaired driver from potentially getting in an accident. Taking the keys of a drunken person is a way to keep them from getting in their car. Designated drivers are heroes who save many lives. They cost nothing and are highly effective.

Furthermore, there are different laws to discourage drunk driving. The main controversy of alcoholism is when people should be able to drink. Having a higher drinking age would be a better law to stop drunk driving. Teens who are under 21 are still developing mentally and physically. The effects of drinking alcohol are greater on people who are younger and still growing. When teens go into the military, it doesn’t mean they are allowed to drink. Some believe that when they go into the military, they should be allowed to drink. Going to war means much more than just being able to drink. Also, many people living in the United States believe that Europe has less drinking problems even though their drinking age is lower than 21. This whole thing is a myth. None of it is true and just because Europe has a lower drinking age doesn’t mean that we should too. To sum up, a higher drinking age is the better turnout. On the other hand, a few people think that a lower drinking age would help stop young drinking. They say that teens think it is “cool” to underage drink; therefore the drinking age should be lowered. They also say that drinking isn’t the problem; it is abusively drinking that is the killer. This statement is wrong because just one drink can do lots damage to a young teens mind.

As can be seen, drunk driving is not to be taken lightly. We need to do our part to save young lives on the road. Too many deaths and injuries have been occurring in the past few years. The next victim could be someone you know. Don’t drink and drive. It’s your choice, choose wisely.