Preview

Drunk Driving Amongst Teenagers in Canada

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1960 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Drunk Driving Amongst Teenagers in Canada
Driving is fun, but drinking and driving is not! Hundreds of people are killed and thousands are injured every year in an accident with a drunk driver. This issue doesn’t only affect the victim itself, but the families, loved ones and communities as well. Drunk driving amongst teens is a serious issue, and is growing by the minute. Drunk driving is somebody’s choice or somebody’s authorization to get behind the wheel when they are clearly impaired. The scars from a drunk driving accident take an emotional and physical toll on the victim, the families, their loved ones, and their communities. 45% of road accidents amongst teenagers are results of impaired driving(1).

If the legal age to drive in Canada is 19(2), and the legal drinking age in Canada is 19(3), why do they mix? Teens have the highest death rate, more 19 year olds die or are injured than any other age group. Vehicle crashes is the leading death cause amongst 15-25 year olds, 45% of those accidents are due to alcohol. Males account for 87% of the fatally injured drunk drivers. Teenage drunk drivers are more likely to be killed or injured during the summertime and weekends, a smaller amount of accidents happen in the wintertime. By the time a driver reaches a blood acohol level of .10%, they are 51 times more likely to get into an acciddnt than a non-drinking driver(4). Teenage drunk driving in Canada is a social justice issue, because someone is making the choice to get behind the wheel while intoxicated fully knowing the risks, not only that but they are breaking the law and endangering the lives of others. According to A Victim’s Guide to the Canadian Criminal Justice System there is no minimum penalty for a drunk driver that has caused bodily harm or a death(5), many drunk drivers seek “Justice with compassion” to flee the hefty fines and even imprisionment. I’m not saying they should remove justice with compassion, but they have to call things what they are when it comes to taking an innocent


Cited: (4) "Overview - Youth and Impaired Driving." MADD Canada. Copyright © MADD Canada | Charity Registration #13907 2060 RR0001, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. <http://www.madd.ca/madd2/en/impaired_driving/impaired_driving_youth.html>. (10) EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND DRIVING. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. Vingilis, Charles. (13) Dworjan, Tania. "Statistics of Teenage Drunk Driving." LoveToKnow Teens. © 2006-2013 LoveToKnow Corp., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2013. <http://teens.lovetoknow.com/Statistics_of_Teenage_Drunk_Driving>.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Annotated Bibliography: Drunk Driving
    • 1532 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Annotated Bibliography: Drunk Driving

    Bibliography: Hathaway, William. "Brain Study Reveals How Drinking Impairs Driving." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, Dec.-Jan. 2004. Web. 24 Mar. 2013.…

    • 1532 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Stricter Law In Canada
    • 153 Words
    • 1 Page

    Stricter Law In Canada

    For a long time drunk driving has been a concern not only in Canada, but worldwide. The awareness of drunk driving as become more effective and understanding in the society and its people. Over time every province in Canada has passed through stronger and stricter laws on impaired driving, to try our best as a country to limit the amount of road collisions from drunk driving. It is significant to create new laws by the police force and court system, as they deal with it physically and as their job in everyday life. With many outcomes of stricter law it is proven that stricter law helps society to have the knowledge and no fool around with driving while intoxicated. Many citizens have been making more positive decisions for different ways of…

    • 153 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Georgie Thring
    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Georgie Thring

    Death, injury and heartache. These are just some of the aching consequences associated with mixing drinking with driving. On November the 8th 2012, the Herald sun newspaper published an article informing us all on another innocent teens life, Georgie Thring’s, being taken on our roads due to yet another careless and easily preventable act. As the Herald Sun is adapted for a general audience, it stresses the importance of people of all ages taking action to reduce the prevalence of drink driving, and related accidents. The article, being written in a forceful and upfront tone elucidates the importance of adults ensuring education on drink driving to adolescences.…

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Increasing Driving Age Limits in Alberta
    • 1481 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Increasing Driving Age Limits in Alberta

    Many Albertans and fellow Canadians may agree that driving is an act of responsibility and maturity. Giving out licenses to teenagers, who tend to make risky and thoughtless decisions, is something the country should considered prohibiting. Due to such careless actions, crash rates are much higher for younger drivers than older, more experienced ones. The increase in fatality for teen drivers may be highly influenced by the lack of wearing seat belts, and their tendency to speed more. Not only are they creating a huge risk for themselves, but also for others around them. The driving age limit in Alberta, as well as in Canada, should be raised to eighteen to ensure the safety of other citizens and teens themselves. By decreasing the rate of accidents, preventing recklessness and carelessness on the roads, and lastly ensuring that all laws are obeyed when driving, may be a step towards the right direction of creating a safer community, and more manageable society.…

    • 1481 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The name of this essay is "Why We Need Tougher DUI Laws in The United States". This essay is about how the laws need to be tougher for DUI offenders and why.
    • 1501 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The name of this essay is "Why We Need Tougher DUI Laws in The United States". This essay is about how the laws need to be tougher for DUI offenders and why.

    Driving in The United States of America can be risky there is one death every twenty-two minutes because of a DUI accident. Americans rank drunk driving as their No.1 highway safety concern. (All-state- MADD survey, 1997) Approximately 1.5 million drivers were arrested in 1999 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of one for every 121 licensed drivers in the United States. (NHTSA, 2000) Drunken driving deaths have reached a plateau. Preliminary alcohol-related traffic fatality statistics show that 16,652 people have dies on the roadways in 2001. (NHTSA, 2002) According to reports done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) there are an estimated 512,000 injuries to people accidents every year in an alcohol-related accident, if averaged out that is 59 people every hour, also come out to be approximately one person every minute. The driver, pedestrian, or both were intoxicated in 41 percent of all fatal pedestrian crashes in 2001. In these crashes, the intoxication rate for pedestrians was more than double the rate for drivers; that is 33 percent and 15 percent, respectively, according to the NHTSA. Both the pedestrian and the driver were intoxicated in 6 percent of the crashes that resulted in a pedestrian fatality. One report done in 2001 showed that 80% of (11,802) of the 14,706 drivers who had a BAC of 0.01 or higher were involved…

    • 1501 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Drivers Ed Essay
    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Drivers Ed Essay

    The age of the driver also plays a role in the number of alcohol related accidents. During 2003-2005 approximately 76 percent of drunk drivers in fatal crashes were under the age of 45. Teenagers are also involved in a lot of drinking and driving accidents since they are inexperienced at both driving and drinking. For drivers ages 16-19 the number of people who drank alcohol and were then involved in a fatal accident decreased by 15 percent between 1996-2001 and 2003-2005. This improvement was most likely because of the new graduated licensing that was put in effect in 1994. Although there was an improvement the crash involvement was still out of proportion with the number of licensed drivers, meaning that teenagers were driving illegally without a valid license.…

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Drinking and Driving: the Leading Cause of Untimely Death in Adolescents
    • 1531 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Drinking and Driving: the Leading Cause of Untimely Death in Adolescents

    The most horrifying event a parent can imagine is losing a child. Especially when it could have been avoided. According to David J. Hanson, "People aged sixteen to twenty-four were involved in twenty-eight percent of all alcohol related driving accidents, although they make up only fourteen percent of the population" (1). This statistic is shocking, but it should not be a surprise. A teenager in today 's society is constantly pressured and bombarded by peers, parents, or advertising condoning the use alcohol. Drinking and driving among teenagers has become an epidemic and the staggering number of deceased is getting larger with each passing day.…

    • 1531 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    drivers ed essay paper
    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages

    drivers ed essay paper

    Drinking and drinving is a very serious issue in the "driving world" Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens.In 2010, 1 to every seven teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. All of this preventable! In 2010 about 2,700 teens in the United States aged 16–19 were killed and almost 282,000 were treated and released from emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor-vehicle crashes, Wow! In a recent year, people aged 16 to 24 were involved in 28 percent of all alcohol-related driving accidents, although they make up only 14% of the U.S. population.Young people are also over-represented in drinking driver injuries and deaths.Fortunately, driving accidents have been declining among young people, just as they have among the general population. And deaths associated with young drinking drivers (those 16 to 24 years of age) are down dramatically, having dropped 47% in a recent 15-year period.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Cause And Effect Essay On Underage Drinking
    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Cause And Effect Essay On Underage Drinking

    Accidents can have a huge effect on adolescents and it can likewise be lethal. Minors drinking liquor can make them drink and drive which can bring about a car crash. Underage drinking can expand the rate of auto crashes quickly. Then again, auto collisions are by all account not the only mischances that can influence young people. Different mischances that can be brought on by underage drinking are falling or getting run over. The lopsidedness that liquor has among adolescents can bring about these mishaps to be life undermining. The outcomes from underage drinking can have numerous negative impacts among teenagers and our communities.…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Should the Drinking Age be Lowered to 18?
    • 1853 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Should the Drinking Age be Lowered to 18?

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released that when the MLDA was increased to 21 in 1984, it decreased the number of fatal traffic accidents for 18- to 20-year-olds by 13%; which saved approximately 27,052 lives up to 2008. Because the legal driving age is over 16, 18 year olds have just started driving and are still learning control and the ways of the open road and their car. According to the NHTSA motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-20 year olds alone. By allowing them to drink at such a young age, not only are they learning to drive but they also have to learn their limit and how alcohol will affect their driving. Recently New Zealand lowered its drinking age to 18, giving researchers an opportunity to watch the effects. The rate of alcohol related crashes among young people rose significantly compared to older drivers.…

    • 1853 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Quicker Liquor
    • 1510 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Quicker Liquor

    One of the main issues, safety, centers on driving accidents while under the influence of alcohol. This has been studied in other countries as well. According to Sanghavi, when “New Zealand lowered the drinking age from 20 to 18…[alcohol related crashes] declined far less than in the overall population” (Sanghavi). In addition, the National Youth Rights…

    • 1510 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Dui Deterrence
    • 2584 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Dui Deterrence

    “Have one drink for the road” was, until recently, a commonly used phrase in American culture. It has only been within the past 20 years that as a nation, we have begun to recognize the dangers associated with drunk driving (Sutton 463). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this year 519,000 people, or one person per minute, will be injured in alcohol-related accidents. 10,839 people will die in drunk-driving crashes this year – that is one death every 50 minutes. The heartbreaking part is, every injury and lost life due to driving after drinking can be prevented. Drinking while driving “accidents” are not merely “accidents.” Getting in a vehicle after consuming alcohol, which severely affects the function of the brain, is not an accident. It is lack of responsibility. Individuals that consume alcohol irresponsibly must begin to take responsibility for themselves and for other innocent drivers on the road. Unfortunately, in spite of great progress, alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious national problem that tragically affects many victims annually (Hanson). It is time that laws and consequences for drinking while driving strengthen and people begin to think twice before driving a vehicle after drinking. Individuals who make the decision to drive after consuming alcohol, not only put themselves in a dangerous situation, they also put an entire community at risk. Current laws, which are not strict or powerful enough, must be increased in order to keep our neighborhoods around the nation safe. Although many people think current drinking while driving limits and laws are strict enough, the rising number of individuals who continue to make an irresponsible decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alcohol, make it imperative that current legal limits, laws, and consequences for drinking while driving, be increased in order to punish drivers appropriately and help repair communities, relationships, and, most…

    • 2584 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Importance Of Drunk Driving
    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Importance Of Drunk Driving

    The question is, are they active? What else is the government doing to stop this escalating problem? According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) “325 other distracted driving victims who have died since 2010; the number of people these irresponsible drivers have had a profound and devastating impact on is in the thousands” States OPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair. The youngest age group, those aged 16 to 19, had an impaired driving rate per 100,000 licensed drivers slightly lower than that for 25- to 34-year-olds and about 40% lower than the rate for 20- to 24-year-olds. Why is there such a heavy focus on youth? According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) it’s because the youth are dramatically over-represented in impaired driving crashes. In 2010, 16 – 25 year olds' made up only 13.6 % of the population, but accounted for 33.4% of all alcohol-related crash deaths. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 16-25 year olds, and alcohol or drugs are a factor in 55% of those crashes. What are the reactions and responses about the crystal clear fact? How is the government going to deal with this ongoing problem? Does the government care about its citizens? Federal, provincial, and municipal governments should work together and bring awareness about the impaired driving in a serious effective…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Teenage Drunk Driving
    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Teenage Drunk Driving

    Consequences of drunk driving are vast. The worst of them being killing of the innocent. Teenage drunk drivers put themselves and every other person on the road in danger. A teenager’s body is not usually immune to alcohol as well as adults. While intoxicated, teens take less risk and are much less cautious. In order to drive safely, the driver must be alert, quick, and capable to make decisions all the while executing them. Alcohol leads to loss of coordination, poor judgment, slow reflexes, and blurred vision. All of these things are required for driving safely. Teenagers jump behind the wheel of a vehicle without thinking. There are even cases in which best friends have killed each other due to driving drunk. On May 25, 2006 Jessica Rashdall, an eighteen year old, killed her best friend. The two were on their way home from a nightclub where they had been drinking. Within the next hour Laura Gorman was dead on a Florida highway. Rashdall served four years in prison even though it was an accident. Rashdall once shared a strong bond with her best friend’s family; now the Gorman’s blame Jessica for the loss of their loved one.…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Research Paper Drinking Age
    • 1549 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Research Paper Drinking Age

    Drinking and driving has become a serious issue among teenagers in the United States. For a person to drive safely, it is necessary to be alert, and capable to make decisions based on current incidents happening around. Driving becomes difficult with distractions, and becomes even worse while under the influence of alcohol. Drunk…

    • 1549 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More