Effects of Drunk Driving..

About Drunk Driving Americans take 233 billion trips in cars each year. Of those, about 1 out of every 2 thousand trips are taken by those who are driving under the influence

Statistics Almost 1 out of every 3 traffic deaths involve drunk driving. Someone is killed in a drunk driving crash every 53 minutes (9,878 people in total in 2011). Every 90 seconds someone is injured because of this entirely preventable crime.

Whats the BIG Deal? At any given point we potentially share the road with 2 million people with 3 or more drunk driving offenses. 2/3 of the drunk driving problem comes from people who have yet to be arrested.

Getting Caught If a police officer charges you with DUI, you must submit to a breathalyzer test. Refusing to take the breathalyzer results in: Your license gets revoked for at least one year You pay a fine up to $2,000 You go to jail for at least 24 hours You have to do at least 24 hours of community service

What if you didn't learn your lesson? You lose you license for at least 4 years You pay a fine up to $1,000 You go to jail for at least 7 days You will have limited driving privileges

Fourth Time's a Charm They take your license away forever You go to jail for up to 3 years You pay a hefty fine.

Is it Working? 50-75% of people with DUIs drive on a suspended license. This is why we need to require ignition interlocks for all drunk driving offenders We need to support law enforcement to help stop drunk drivers through proven solutions like sobriety checkpoints. We should strongly support research into technology that will eliminate drunk driving

DUI in North Carolina DUI Fatalities: 365 % of total traffic deaths DUI related: 30 % of change in DUI fatalities from previous to current year: -6.2 State subsidy of drunk driving fatalities: $1.78 billion Alcohol use in past month among persons aged 12 to 20: 23.80% Alcohol use in past month among persons aged 12 to 20: 265,000 Binge alcohol use in past month among persons aged 12 to 20: 14.90% people Binge alcohol use in past month among persons aged 12 to 20: 166,000 people

Why 21? More than 25,000 lives have been saved in the U.S. thanks to the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age. This law continues to prevent tragedies—decreasing crashes by an estimated 16% and keeping young people safer from many risks. Sometimes, without knowing all the facts, people assert that youths shouldn’t have to wait until they’re 21 to drink.

Why do we make young people wait until 21 to drink alcohol? Many activities have ages of initiation. A person must wait until age 16 to start driving, age 18 to marry without parental consent, age 25 to rent a car, age 35 to become president, and so on. The age limit for alcohol is based on research which shows that young people react differently to alcohol. Teens get drunk twice as fast as adults, but have more trouble knowing when to stop. Teens naturally overdo it and binge more often than adults. Enforcing the legal drinking age of 21 reduces traffic crashes,protects young people’s maturing brains, and keeps young people safer overall.

Alcohol and the Teen Brain The human brain continues to grow into a person's early 20s. Drinking alcohol during adolescence can permanently damage short and long-term brain growth. And it's not just heavy drinking that can impact teens -- teens who drink half as much alcohol as adults can still suffer the same negative effects! Teens are more likely to suffer blackouts, memory loss, and alcohol poisoning from drinking, as well as to cause damage to their ability to remember things in the future.

What's the Impact? Adolescent drinkers perform worse in school, are more likely to fall behind, have an increased risk of social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts and violence. Also, because the brain becomes used to the use of alcohol, people who begin drinking in their teens are not only at greater risk for developing alcoholism sometime in their lives, they are also at greater risk for developing alcoholism more quickly and at younger ages.

Why we celebrate Red Ribbon Week Every October during Red Ribbon Week schools around the country encourage young people to live a drug-free life. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug by youths—more than all illegal drugs combined, in fact. Together, by engaging youth, parents, and the community to prevent underage drinking and support the 21 minimum drinking age, we can reduce the deaths and injuries that come from underage drinking.

Child Endangerment Over half of all children killed in drunk driving crashes are killed while riding with the drunk driver. Most of the time, that person is old enough to be a parent or caregiver. Drunk driving is criminal and irresponsible, and having a child in the car elevates this criminal act to child abuse.

Don't Try This at Home!!! This can happen to you!!!