Stricter DUI Penalties Needed! Essay -- drunk driving, argument, alcoh

Alcohol is the main beverage for parties and special occasions in the United States. Many people decide to drink alcohol because it helps them relax, ease tension and socializing. Even most non-drinkers are forced to drink alcohol because of peer pressure. Hebert Moskowitz, the president of the Southern California Research Institute in Los Angeles, concedes that â€Å"alcohol has been so popular these days; it seems as though alcohol is a requirement for parties† (Moskowitz, 13). Unfortunately, most UNM students do not know their limits for alcohol consumption. By the time a party is over, they fail to realize that they had one too many drinks and they decide to drink and drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety and Administration (NHTSA), in 2009 there were approximately 10,839 reported student drunk driving fatalities. Even though the number of alcohol-related crashes decreases every year, driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol should not be underestimat ed. Approximately every twenty-two minutes, one in every fifty American drunk drivers crashes due to alcohol (NHTSA, 2009). Many UNM students under the influence of alcohol do not understand the consequences as they get into their car. It is our duty as students to take action against student drunk drivers, in order to make our campus and roads safer. The solution is simple. As students, we need to be re-educate UNM students about DUI and petition to ask the Government of New Mexico for harsher penalties against drunk drivers. There have been many awareness campaigns, such as the current, â€Å"You Drink, You Drive, You Lose Campaign.† Many campaigns have tried to let UNM students understand the dangers of drinking while driving. However, many students still conti... ...ws, Sports, Entertainment, Jobs, Classifieds And Advertising. 21 Feb. 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2011. . Moskowitz, Hebert, and Marcelline Burns. "Effects of Alcohol on Driving Performance." Alcohol Health & Research World 17.4 (1993): 12-15. NHTSA. "Traffic Safety Facts 2009." National Center for Statistics and Analysis: 13-143. Web. 8 Apr. 2011. . Pacheco, Angela. "Transportation Safety Law Center." Transportation Safety Law Center Home Page. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. . Sen, Anindya. "WILL STRICTER PENALTIES DETER DRUNK DRIVING?" Policy Options (1999): 54-60. Print. Think Quest. "1.4 Underage Drinking - ThinkQuest." Oracle Think Quest Education Foundation. Web. 8 Apr. 2011.