Drunk Driving As A Social Problem

If you drive when you are either intoxicated or drunk, you are placing yourself and others at great risk. Drunk driving or driving with a high blood alcohol content or concentration (BAC) places you and others at a greatly increased risk of highway injuries, car accidents and vehicular deaths.

You may ask, “How is drunk driving defined?” The definition of drunk driving is consistent throughout the United States. Every state and the District of Columbia define impairment as driving with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) at or above 0.08 percent.

In addition, they all have zero tolerance laws prohibiting drivers under the age of 21 from drinking and driving. Generally the BAC in these cases is 0.02 percent.

If you wonder how big a problem drunk driving is then consider this. The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that there is an alcohol-impaired traffic fatality every 40 minutes in the United States. (more…)