Donny PolsonProfessor Acosta-MabreyApril 22, 2014Drunk DrivingIntroWhen an intoxicated person makes the decision to sit behind the wheel of an automobile and drive home she in the car, she endangers everyone on the road. In 2011, on average, a drunk driving death occurred every 53 minutes, making alcohol responsible for nearly 32% of traffic-related deaths (Drunk Driving, 1). Alcohol-related accidents are estimated to cost the public more than $50 billion annually. Everyone has heard that drunk driving is dangerous, but each year, an estimated 17 million people choose to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence (Drunk Driving, 1). Although the frequency of drunk driving has decreased over the years, the emotional cost to families and financial costs to the public remain outrageous. The widespread impact of drunk driving on the American public makes it the most important crime topic today. History Nowadays, drunk driving has a reputation and stigma unlike it did a hundred years ago when motor vehicles were first introduced to the world. mass consumer market. The end of Prohibition, the invention of the breathalyzer, advocacy groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and other historical events helped shape the public's views on driving under the influence. In the early 1900s, road accidents became problematic in the United States, as alcohol-related incidents began to be identified as a contributing factor in road accidents. In 1904, the American Association for the Study and Cure of Drunkenness published the first report on the negative effects of the combination of drinking and driving (Loewit-Phillips, 1). Fast forward to 1932, a study found that there was a middle of paper...... A little extra taxpayer money would go a long way in keeping drunk drivers off the road, creating safer driving . the environment, and ultimately saving thousands of lives across the country. Albreem, J. (July 15, 2011). Drunk driving. http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/by_the_numbers/drunk_driving/index.html Calcher, M. (May 4, 2006). Drunk driving statistics. http://www.alcoholalert.com/drunk-driving-statistics.html Donavich, L. (October 1, 2010). History of drunk driving. http://www.testcountry.org/history-of-dui-how-driving-under-the-influence-became-illegal-in-the-us.htmJones, A. (January 28, 2007). Prevention of drunk driving. http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/PreventingDrunkDriving.html#.UxZr3_ldV8EFields, L. (1994). Pretrial Diversion: A Solution to California's Drunk Driving Problem. Federal probation,58(4), 20.