There are many topics that are
important now in America, but one topic that intrigued me was about drinking
and driving. I personally lost a dear friend of mine in a drinking and driving
accident about a week ago. On Monday,
March 25, 2013 Statesman.com, published an article called “Woman killed inhit-and-run crash” This article talks about how Christina Lopez, who works in
the ACC Northridge college in Simons café, was killed in a drinking and driving
accident. The article states that “Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene of
the crash at Springdale Road near Pecan Brook Drive in East Austin after police
arrived at about 11:45 p.m., according to an arrest affidavit.” When I read
this part of the article it brought me to tears to know that she died right
there on the spot. But it made me mad to
know that the person that killed her didn’t even go to help her, he just ran
away.
Now my question is, should the
consequences for drinking and driving crimes be harsher? After much thinking I
thought to myself that yes, we should be harsher. Statistics in the organization called MADD (Mothers
Against Drunk Drivers) show that “Every day in America, another 27 people dieas a result of drunk driving crashes”. Imagine how many people’s lives are
lost. A person could be dying now as we speak. Not only are the people that are
in the car affected but also their loved ones.
I personally knew who Christina was. She was a great friend and an
amazing mother to her two young children.
It makes me sad to know that many adults or children are dying because
of the irresponsible actions of people that cause this tragedy. This is why I believe
we should make the consequences harsher so people will not be tempted to drink
and drive. Sure people will still drink but we could decrease the numbers of
people drinking and driving.
In the website called DrivingLaws.org say that if you are caught in your first offenseyou get minimum jail time for 3 to 180 days, fine up to $2,000, and a licensesuspension for 90 to 365 days. Now I don’t know about you but I don’t think it is enough. Many say it’s there first time but the first time could also kill someone. I believe that they should get sent to jail for 2 years and pay a fine of $10,000. When we put more of a harsher consequence for people to know they will think twice when drinking and driving. I don’t believe that it is being unfair and mean because many people’s lives are lost because of these actions and it isn’t fair for the family members that have to go through losing someone they love. Drinking and driving is bad and we should spread the word for people to know what they are getting themselves into.
Sources:
-http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/woman-killed-in-hit-and-run-crash-identified/nW3sC/
-http://www.madd.org/statistics/
-http://dui.drivinglaws.org/texas.php
In the website called DrivingLaws.org say that if you are caught in your first offenseyou get minimum jail time for 3 to 180 days, fine up to $2,000, and a licensesuspension for 90 to 365 days. Now I don’t know about you but I don’t think it is enough. Many say it’s there first time but the first time could also kill someone. I believe that they should get sent to jail for 2 years and pay a fine of $10,000. When we put more of a harsher consequence for people to know they will think twice when drinking and driving. I don’t believe that it is being unfair and mean because many people’s lives are lost because of these actions and it isn’t fair for the family members that have to go through losing someone they love. Drinking and driving is bad and we should spread the word for people to know what they are getting themselves into.
Sources:
-http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/woman-killed-in-hit-and-run-crash-identified/nW3sC/
-http://www.madd.org/statistics/
-http://dui.drivinglaws.org/texas.php
1 comment:
Daily what an awesome topic you chose. I didn’t know Christina but I have seen the flyers and I think that is absolutely horrifying that someone could just leave and not try to save her. I had the same kind of situation happen to me a couple years ago and nothing has really changed. So, I agree that we should make the drinking and driving punishments harsher and enforced more offend. But another big problem is that they need to be more consistent. My neighbor’s dad is a lawyer and this kid has been arrested four times for drinking and driving but has never served hard jail time. Another example is how about Lindsey Lohan who has been arrested three times for drinking and driving but has only served 14 days combined jail time for all three arrests. Or my last example is a man who was recently arrested twice within 24 hours for drinking and driving. This man served his jail time at Harrison Medical Center because his blood-alcohol level was too high for jail. So instead of putting him in jail after his alcohol levels were normalized they released him from the hospital back into the public, where I guarantee he doesn’t remember any of his actions from the night before and that’s why he did it again. http://q13fox.com/2013/04/11/man-arrested-for-dui-twice-in-24-hours/#axzz2QGy4i0G8 I think that you are completely right about making the laws harsher because there are so many ways around drinking and driving there is the a sober buddy, bus, dart rail, taxi, walking or riding your bike or how about just controlling your alcohol intake? I’m so sorry to hear about your friend and let me know if there is anything that I can do for you.
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