MWP 2) Outline and Introduction: Don't Drink and Drive

Matthew Maestas

DiPrince

 English 102, 3 & 2800

March 15, 2012

Outline MWP 2: Don’t Drink and Drive

            Introduction:  Every day when I get behind the wheel of my truck, I wonder what that “other guy” will be doing. My strategy is to be safe and be on the lookout for that “other guy”. Tragically, each day someone will lose their life or be injured in a traffic accident. Most often it will involve someone who is drunk or intoxicated. Drinking and Driving is not just a social problem it involves all of us. The time to act is now before there is another drunken driving casualty. We must reach out and unite to stop these people before they get behind the wheel of their vehicle.

Definition: In this paper I’ll use the term (BAC) which means blood alcohol content. MADD Mothers Against Drunk Drivers or sobriety checkpoint which is where the police have a random stopping place for vehicles and check to see if they have been drinking. If they have been then they will be arrested and taken to jail. These are all the terms all be using as definitions plus etc.

Next will be my review of literature:   80% they say and 20% I say. My scholarly sources will be an article about 1) Mothers Against Drunk Drivers 2) Binge drinking  among college students 3) The effectiveness of designated driver programs 4) an article about the anti-drunk driver campaign: a covert war against drinking 5) a critical analysis of “ moderation” advertising sponsored by the beer industry: are “responsible drinking” commercials done responsibly?

Argument/analysis:    80% I say, and 20% they say.

Conclusion: In this section I will explain why it so dangerous to drink and drive and a complete overview of what I’ve learned through my research.

700 Word Draft: "Don't Drink and Drive"

  When I get into my truck each day, I wonder what will my commute to my destination be like. Hopefully, a safe trip with no incidents, but one must wonder what will the other person be doing. My strategy is to be on the lookout for "that other guy" and to be safe throughout my journey. Tragically, each day thousands of people lose their life or are injured in traffic accidents. Most of these crashes are caused by someones negligence to get behind the wheel drunk or intoxicated. It is their poor decision that leaves behind shattered families and divided communities. Drinking and driving is not just a social problem it affects all of us. The time to act is now before another casualty of drunk driving happens.
   One of the most visible organizations, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has had a significant influence of addressing the problems caused by drunk drivers. The organization beginnings started through the grief of a mother named Candy Lightner. Her daughter was killed in a hit and run accident caused by a drunk intoxicated driver. This drunk driver had a history of four prior drunk driving arrests. MADD has had success of the passage of more than 1000 new laws at both the local and national levels. Some of these laws that are highlights of MADD's success includes a minimum drinking age, sever liability laws, and sobriety checkpoints. Indeed, they have made people think before they drink. In addition to harsher penalties against drunk drivers, MADD has established programs and services for victims to assist them in coping with their loss. The loss of a loved one is unanticipated and sudden, death is quick, the accident is without meaning. It leaves behind a compelling desire for the survivor "to reach out and do something" this is where MADD's roll comes in useful. Many chapters have support groups and volunteers who monitor the outcomes of court cases and report back to citizens and the media that the drunk driving offenders are punished to the widest  degree possible for their crimes. MADD's work has saved the lives of thousands and injuries prevented as a result of the mission to stop drunk drivers, but even if drunk driving was stopped the next day MADD would still be needed to support the bereaved and injured victims of this preventable and senseless crime.
  In another part of my research I bring attention to an article titled "Effectiveness of Designated Driver Programs for Reducing Alcohol-Impaired Driving." The article asks for a definition of a "Designated Driver." It discusses that their is no real universal definition of one. In the US it is known that the designated driver abstain from alcohol consumption, and drive other party goers home safely. In other countries the definition is known as a risk and harm reduction strategy. However, in some cases the "designated driver" is chosen among a group who is the least intoxicated. The goal in the context of this article is not necessarily abstinence but to keep the designated drivers blood alcohol content (BAC) below that than the legal limit above that the risk of an accident is likely. There are two types of programs that were evaluated for this review one is called population based campaigns which encourages a designated driver, and the other program conducted in bars and drinking establishments that provides incentives for people to act as a designated driver.

Citations:

Susan M. Ditter, “Effectiveness of Designated Driver Programs for Reducing Alcohol-Impaired Driving” 2005 . American Journal Of Preventative Medicine, Volume 28, Number 5S

Wendy J Hamilton, “Mothers Against Drunk Driving—MADD in the USA” 2006. INJURY PREVENTION, Volume 6, Issue 2

Precis) The "Risky Business" of Binge Drinking among College Students

In her article, Binge Drinking is a "Risky Business", especially among college students. It is drinking alcoholic beverages in excess. It continues to be an ongoing problem facing widespread college campuses. She discusses that sometimes college students don't care at all. They just want to get drunk and party and have a good time. The part of the article that interests me most are the perceived risks and their severity. Here is a list of perceived threats that students may encounter when drinking.1) Drunk Driving 2) Illegal situations including underage drinking and use of fake IDs 3) Sexual experiences including rape 4) Passing Out/ Losing control 5) Fights 6) Academic failure etc., Students voiced their feelings saying there is no better time to drink at then this time in there life. The summary of findings also lists attitudes regarding severity. The consequences are so minimal and relatively speaking, drinking is safe. The article also discusses attitudes toward vulnerability, response efficacy for risk management, attitudes that influence self-efficacy, ritual influences and other attitudes and beliefs that support ritual influences. It is a very broad article and I will further explain more in my paper.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/4189194

Precis: Effects of Desinated Driver Programs for Reducing Alcohol-Impaired Diving

 In her article, there is not any universal definition of the term,"designated driver." Susan Ditter explains in the US this is meant for a person to abstain from alcohol consumption and drive the people who do drink safely to their homes. A result of a survey indicates that 13 percentage point increase in people "always" select a designated driver, but there is no person admitting to driving while impaired or riding with someone who has been drinking. There is an ongoing incentive program to encourage people in drinking establishments to serve as a designated drivers. The most popular is to offer free soft drinks, but there are also nonalcoholic drinks and food including an incentive for free admission if they don't drink. The designated driving programs are ongoing and more research is still needed.

Article in support of working thesis

 In her article, "They slur. They stumble and lose their balance. Then, they get behind the wheel of their car and drive." (2006) Tina Wescott Cafaro makes a strong argument that this is the case for 159 million people who have episodes of alcohol impaired driving each year. In 2004, she provides a statistic that 16,694 people perished in alcohol impaired crashes. This is 39 percent out of 42,643 total traffic accidents in the United States. The article explores different ways to combat people driving under the influence of alcohol. It uses preventative educational guides to disrupt social acceptance of drinking and driving. One deterrent is to discourage behavior by creating the fear of punishment and arrest. In order for these strategies to work, a person who drinks and drive must assess the consequences of the risks and the punishment then they will realize that the consequences outweigh the risk of getting caught. She goes on to explore the ongoing debate that the validity of punishment will actually deter an individuals behavior to make them stop.

http://heinonline.org/HOL?LandingPage?collection=journal&handle=hein.journals/gonlr42...

Working Thesis for, "Don't Drink and Drive"

People who drink and drive are putting everbody on the road at danger including themeselves. Each day thousands of people are injured or worse killed because somebody got behind the wheel intoxicated. The time to act is now before another innocent victim is lost due to someone's  negligence leaving behind shattered familes and divided communities.

Questions for new topic: " Don't Drink And Drive"

What exactly is the problem? Ans: The problem is people who get behind the wheel of an automobile under the influence of alcohol. They put every driver on the road at risk of an accident and of course themselves. Alcohol is an addiction and people risk getting hooked on it.
Who is most affected by the problem? Ans: Innocent people who are just driving to there destinations unaware of the dangers of someone who is intoxicated. In some cases, Alcohol leads to mental disorder and to some extent bi-polar disease.
What causes the problem? Ans: Well, for starters its people who drink and then decide to drive. They might be leaving a party drunk and without thinking get behind the wheel and drive home. Many people have lost their lives to a person who was intoxicated. The people who do survive an accident could possibly be disabled for the rest of their lives and are emotionally scared for life.
Has anyone tried to do anything about it? If so, why haven't they succeeded? Ans: The people who are most successful about doing something about it is Law Enforcement. They lock people up in jail if they are caught drinking and driving. The penalty's are extreme, it will cost a person hundreds of dollars to get there license back and their insurance costs go up. Not to mention, they have to do community service and attend alcohol classes which also costs more money. In some cases they have to wear an ankle bracelet with GPS tracking to monitor where they are at. In addition; they have to go to court to settle their cases. For the most part, they are succeeding substantially. Why, nobody would ever like to go to jail and people who do drink are conscientious of the police just waiting for them. Other organizations who are trying to make a dent in the problem is (MADD) Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.
What is likely to happen in the future if the problem isn't solved? Ans: I don' think the problem will ever be solved but the passage of new laws will cause people to think before they drink. As long as there is alcohol people will continue to drink but new sin taxes make it that much more expensive to purchase alcohol.

Precis Introduction) Don't Drink and Drive

 Since the 1970's, one of the most visible homegrown organizations, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers or (MADD). This organization had a major influence in addressing the problems caused by drunk drivers. The history of MADD started from a mother who lost her daughter to a drunk driver who had a history of prior drunk driving arrests. The mothers name is Candy Lightner. The organizations grassroots started in California but rapidly expanded to several hundred chapters throughout North America. The loss from a drunk driving crash is unanticipated and sudden. This is where MADD fulfills the survivors desire "to do something." Alcohol related accidents have become crashes caused by criminal negligence. The result of breath testing has resulted in the campaign of more designated drivers for safe transportation when leaving a party. This is one of many mass media campaigns by MADD.

Good Reasons Chapter 13. Rhetorical Precis

  Lester Faigley, "Don't Drink and Drive." This is an example of a Proposal argument. They identify a problem and offer a solution. The problem is for the writer is to convince your readers to do something about it. Its easy for someone to say, " I agree, people shouldn't drink and drive." Getting started to write a Proposal argument is simply this in summary. Make a claim. We should ( or should not) do something. Identify the Problem. What is the problem exactly. Who does this affect. Offer a solution to fix the problem. Here is what needs to be done in order to fix this problem. If this didn't work to fix the problem let's consider others solution to fix the problem. Bring in other people who are affected and gather data. Then conduct an analysis of the data then begin writing a draft. The draft includes an Introduction, a body, and lastly a conclusion. Then simply revise, edit, and proofread.