argument draft

you said we could post quick writes of our drafts, so this is technically not cheating right?

People die everyday from a host of tragedies, some die of incurable diseases, some from accidents but tragedies that are completely avoidable are the ones that cause not only heartache but total outrage. While some fight for life with every bit of strength they have, thousands have their lives snatched away instantly by a carless drivers every year. When a young life is cut short, or a mother is forever taken from her children by a completely avoidable offence, it is a call to action for the citizens of this county to cry out, loudly and persistently for change. The problem is drunk driving and if you think this issue doesn’t affect you, you are sadly mistaken, according to statistics provided by MADD three in ten people will be involved in an alcohol related car accident and 31.6 % of traffic fatalities are caused by a person with a blood alcohol level of more than .08. That means, chances are, you or one of your family members will be affected at some point in your life by the irresponsible decision of a drunk driver and the fully culpable, apathetic law makers. Every year in the U.S. 13,000 people die as the result of drunk driving. This is simply inexcusable, and it is avoidable. Simple strategies when applied would drastically cut down on the number of people killed but even if the new strategies and stricter laws saved one parent from grieving the loss of their child or one child growing up without a mom or a dad the cost would unquestionably be worth it. The currant laws we have are simply not tough enough and we must change those laws in order to save the lives of the innocent.
Currently in the state of California, on a typical Friday, people go out for a night of drinking and dancing and at around two in the morning the establishments toss them out in the streets in various conditions of intoxication; many get in their own vehicles and drive themselves home. According to statistics, for every person that gets ticked for drunk driving there were 87 previous incidences of drunk driving they committed before getting caught. That means that there are 87 times more drunk drivers roaming our streets in their steel death machines for every one that gets caught. When a bar stops serving alcohol there should be a mandatory one and a half hours wherein the bar is required to stay open and provide food and non-alcoholic beverages. Upon leaving a bar patrons should be required to point out a designated driver to law enforcement and that person should have to pass a breathalyzer test before they are allowed to leave. If no one in a given group can pass the test a cab should be on standby and if the person doesn’t have enough money for the cab they should have the option of being ticketed the cab bill and having to pay it back or spending the night in a drunk-tank. This strategy would cause people to plan ahead when heading out for a night on the town.
Car makers spend thousands of dollars ever year installing airbags, for safety purposes and perks like car stereos and such are common features in any vehicle, the cost to car makers of putting a sensor built into a vehicle that would prevent a car from being driven by a person under the influence of alcohol would save up to 13,000 lives a year. That is thirteen thousand families that would be spared the loss of a loved one. Surely with our technology this is no impossible feat. Law makers need to pursue these types of laws.


Stiffer sentencing on the first offence would also be a detour to those considering a un planned night of partying. Drunk driving should be treated as attempted manslaughter in the court system because that is what it is. The public is so well educated on this issue that there is simply no excuse to cry naïveté about the dangers of drunk driving. Every time someone hits the roads intoxicated they are taking innocent lives into their hands. It is time for our law makers to step u to the plate and treat this with the attention it deserves. It is also high time for a public outcry on the issue of drunk driving. If there was a fully preventable disease killing thirteen thousand men, woman and children in America every year, no cost would be spared to provide treatment and prevention. This issue is no different.