Driving under influence (DUI) is one of the leading causes of death and convictions in the United States. Statistics by the Centers for Disease Control in 2010 reported that about 1.4 million were arrested for DUI in the US. The common drug taken by Americans is alcohol. In addition to this, culprits are also arrested for using drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, prescribed medications that help with pain, sleep, depression and anxiety. Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that almost 29 people are killed in the United States due to alcohol-impaired vehicle crushes; this means that one person dies in every 50 minutes. These deaths affect families in various ways. This paper will shed light on why DUI is the leading cause of death among many families. This will be discussed on a global, national, state and local level.
DUI accidents affect families in various ways. DUI accidents have considerable impact on the financial status of families. The court costs, probation fees and legal fees are high, and this have long-term financial implications on the parties involved. These costs may impede employment, create budget constraints, limit the family’s ability to by a home or pay for compulsory treatment just to mention but a few. The emotional toll on families can also not be ignored. Families may experience a lot of grief because of the deaths. The grief may be destructive and long lasting which may terribly affect the members involved. The case may also be worse in case the affected family members have post traumatic stress disorder that may cause other resultant problems. The emotional strain may also affect relations in the family between the parents or siblings due to DUI related issues. The blame and finger pointing that may result after a DUI related accident can be destructive and may be the reason a family does not have peace and cohesion. Family responsible for causing deaths may also be greatly affected. They may undergo stress and tension in the family which may result to depression. The feelings of guilt and shame may be overwhelming causing a family member to live under distress and pain. The accusations and recriminations may be overwhelming to the party involved, especially if the diseased was the major bread winner.
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Following the repercussions resulting to DUI deaths in families, various policies and measures need to be taken at the global, national, state and local levels to ensure public safety is upheld always. Various international organizations such as the World Health Organizations and the United Nations in conjunction with various governments are at the forefront to spearhead measures to curb this menace. The DUI related deaths have been rampant and among the leading causes of deaths in the world today. The deaths are said to be caused due to speeding, accommodating human error, unsafe vehicles and unsafe road infrastructure (WHO, 2015). DUI is destructive to both the driver and other road users. It puts everyone at risk and thus various measures need to be undertaken to control the prevalence of the situation. These steps can be implemented from a global perspective and narrowed down to the local perspective. In all areas, the government and the citizens need to play a role to ensure cohesion in implementation of these measures.
Global Statistics
From the global statistics, South Africa tops the charts as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for road accidents. The reported was posted on the WHO’s Status report on Road Safety for 2015. There are about 25.1 deaths for every 100,000 persons per year. Six out of every ten fatalities can be attributed to alcohol consumption. An estimated 90% of DUI deaths occurs in low and middle-income countries. It is interesting to note that even in the high-income countries, it is common to find that most of the people likely to be involved in the road accidents are from people with lower social-economic backgrounds. In Canada, the rate of DUI deaths is still high at 34% despite the advanced infrastructure. The United states statistic stand at 31% whereas in Australia it is at 30%. The statistic is considerably low in Germany and the United Kingdom at 16 and 9 percent respectively. In as much as consumption of alcohol and drugs is a personal choice, the implications affect other people and families for this matter. The financial strain on the family following funeral arrangements and medical bills have huge implications on families. Additionally, many homes are left without parents and guardians due to such deaths. To prevent such cases globally, WHO advocates for creating safer vehicles, bettering the road and transport infrastructure and creating laws that govern drunk driving in every nation. The organization aims to seek funding from Bloomberg philanthropies to implement these measures.
National Level
When it comes to the national statistics, DUI accident cases are more rampant in low and middle-income families as opposed to high-income families. the government play a huge role in tackling the situation at this point. This means the government is tasked with creating rules and regulations to curb DUI at a national level. The laws created cater for teenage driving, such as maintaining a minimal legal drinking age at 21. This law is in place in all the 50 states and some considerable changes have been seen since the law was enacted. To add on this, different states need to introduce soberity checkpoints at highly visible points and station policemen to take breath tests on suspicious drivers. Additionally, laws that govern alcohol screening, multi-component interventions and mass media campaigns should also be enacted. Health policies on the affected population ought to be facilitated to help contain situations such as addictions. Finally, there needs to be a strong collaboration between the national and the state governments to ensure all policies are enacted and effected where applicable (CDC, 2016).
State Level
At a national level, DUI deaths affect many families and it is the responsibility of various governments to ensure their population is safe and protected always. A report by the CDC on Motor Vehicle Safety about 4,102 people died in drunk driving incidences in North Carolina. This happened between 2003 and 2012. Some of the measures taken to prevent such occurrences public education. In this case, drivers are encouraged to look out for signs of intoxication in other drivers. One needs to keep a safe distance and call the police if such cases are spotted. These measures are done to save people’s lives. To add on this, countries should create laws that aim to prevent repeated occurrences of such cases. Laws such as increasing seat-belt use, increasing child restraint use and ensuring there are safer cars on the roads. These measures need to be funded by the governments to achieve sustainable development. Health policies have also been implemented at state level to minimize occurrences of DUI deaths. For instance, there are criminal justice policies that are designed to identify and treat people with drinking problems. Various programs such as rehabilitation programs are also created and facilitated by the justice system to reduce such instances especially among the youth.
Local Level
Like any other intervention, measures need to be taken to control the situation. It is common practice for adults to indulge in binge drinking after work. Teenagers are also in the habit of consuming drugs when they go for parties and events. A lot of social mobilization is being conducted at a local level to minimize the occurrence of such situations. The media plays a huge role in public education since this information is aired on televisions, radio and advertisements on both print and electronic media. In terms of health policies, the government has made rehabilitation centers accessible at local level to help rehabilitate members of the community who are struggling with addiction related issues. To add on this, various social workers are positioned to help people struggling with drug related issues. These social workers have a one on one relationship with the people who are addicted and they try to help the cope with their situation. All this is in an effort to reduce the prevalence of DUI deaths in the country.
In conclusion, drunk driving has caused many deaths in the population today. With the increase in consumption of alcohol and other drugs, the situation is becoming prevalent in many countries which is attracting global attention. The most affected unit in this situation is the family. Drunk driving related accidents cause a lot of pain and imbalance in families since they are a financial strain in the event that the casualty is injured and need to seek further health. These premature deaths cause instabilities in most homes. If many adults are affected, children are left orphans, and this disrupts the family set up. To add on this, drunk driving accidents does not necessarily affect drinkers, innocent drivers, pedestrians and motorists may also find themselves in this snare without participating in consumption of drugs. This calls for a collaboration between various members of the society to curb this menace.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (2016). What Works: Strategies to Reduce or Prevent Drunk Driving . Retrieved May 31,2018 from; https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/strategies.html
National Highway Transport Safety Administration (2015). United States Department of Transportation. Drunk Driving . Retrieved May 31,2018 from; https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving
World Health Organization (2015). Violence and Injury Prevention . Global status report on road safety 2015 . Retrieved May 31,2018 from; http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2015/en/
