Drunk Drivers Off The Road example essay topic

Giovanni Vaccarello, a retired machinist form Brooklyn, New York, never took the safety of his family for granted. He often drove Maria, 18, and Concetta, 17, to their part time jobs. John, his fourteen year old son, was to wear a beeper at all times so that he would never be out of reach. Giovanni routinely walked Cathy, his wife of twenty five years, one block to her job at the beauty salon. But with all the precautions Giovanni took, nothing could stop him from Abraham Meyers, a 25-year-old janitor from Brooklyn.

At about 11: 30 on May 1, 1994, Giovanni left the Russo's catering hall in Queens with Cathy, Maria, and Concetta. John lingered behind as the others crossed the street and headed for the car. It was then that Meyers, allegedly going at speeds over 70 mph without headlights on, smashed into them, sending the Vaccarello's flying. Maria and Concetta died instantly, while Cathy held on for a few hours on life support before dying. Giovanni escaped with his leg broken in three places, but suffered a heart attack that kept him in the hospital for a month. Meyers' blood alcohol was tested at.

2, double the legal limit for driving while intoxicated. This was not the first time he would face charges for driving under the influence of alcohol, he has had his license suspended 26 times and has drunk driving convictions dating back to 1967. Although Meyers kept driving without a license, he never spent one day in jail. He now faces up to life in prison, but this is of no consolation to the Giovanni family (People, October 17, 1994). Over the last fifteen years, there has been a major improvement in the number of alcohol related accidents and deaths allover the country.

Between the years of 1982 and 1992, the number of fatalities due to alcohol-related accidents dropped 30 percent from 25,000 to 17,000. These numbers are the direct result of hard work by the American people to put an end to drunk driving. Although it seems that much is being done to keep drunk drivers off the road, it seems that there is little being done to keep repeat offenders off the road. Although there are no nation wide studies available on repeat offenders, individual states keep their own records. In Ohio, for instance, 32 percent of drunk drivers are repeat offenders, and they are responsible for 55 percent of all drunk driving convictions. There have been a variety of ideas on how to keep these repeat offenders of the road, ranging from a specialized license plate (used in Ohio) to mandatory jail sentences.

On average, police estimate that for every 2,000 people who drive drunk, one is convicted of a DUI. Each state has its own individual way with coping with drunk drivers and repeat offenders, but the facts don't lie. Studies show that every 30 minutes, a person is killed in the United States by a drunk driver, this is the most important reason to keep drunks off the streets. Drunk driving is stopped the same way it is started, with individual decisions. Organizations such as M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) andS.A.D.D. (Students Against Drunk Driving) are working in almost every community around the United States to fight the war on drunk driving. These two groups, along with other organizations and institutions, are dedicated to putting an end to this horrible crime.

These organizations preach the importance of being a designated driver. Taking responsibility and vowing not to drink could save the lives of many people. Some bars have tried to encourage designated drivers by offering them free soft drinks so they stay sober. Also, many communities have set up systems that allow people to call in and report drunk drivers.

In Colorado, the REDD I program (Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately) has received over 50,000 calls. These calls have resulted in 10,000 cars being pulled over and 5,000 arrests (USA Today, March 1992). Although few communities have used this system, it seems to work very well. The biggest way to fight Drunk Driving is to become involved.

Drunk driving is a crime of unique proportions. Few offenses are as horrifying, but none are easier to commit. Typical weapons are not involved and no planning is required. This is why it takes each and every person to use every tool at his or her expense to see that it is defeated..