Is social media an effective tool that can be used in preventing instances of drunken driving amongst young adults?
DUI statistics in Orange County, CA is quite alarming especially amongst young adults aged between 21 and 34.
In a study that was carried out by the NHTSA, it was discovered that 65% of people who died in alcohol related accidents in 2012 were aged between 21 and 34. This is in addition to the 17% of drivers aged 21 years and below who perished in alcohol related accidents.
The federal government with the assistance of nonprofit organizations has been exploring new ways through which it can target this vulnerable age group with an aim of minimizing fatalities and injuries resulting from alcohol related road accidents. Social media is one of the tools that are currently being employed by the federal government in fighting drunk driving.
The emergence of smartphones such as Apple iPhone and Blackberry have led to the development of applications that use information such as age, weight, sex, quantity and time of alcohol consumption to establish an individual’s intoxication level. These types of apps have been programmed in such a manner that they will instantly notify taxis in your area once you have exceeded your alcohol limit.
Whereas mobile apps can be helpful when it comes to determining your level of intoxication, it still does not eradicate the issue of drinking and driving. Since a majority of young people utilize social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, it can be a valuable tool in fighting drunken driving. Besides being used to inform people of various DUI checkpoints, social media can be utilized in highlighting the hazards of drinking and driving.
In as much as social media has been used in the past to highlight the dangers of drinking and driving, its effectiveness is yet to be determined. To learn more about the dangers of drinking and driving as well as the punishments that you can receive upon being arrested for drunken driving, consult a DUI attorney like Christopher J McCann.
If you enjoyed this guest post on “Social Media Ways To STOP Drunk Driving”. Please share it socially and tweet it on twitter. Like it on facebook & share with your friends. Help promote drunk driving awareness via Video’s on Youtube to powerful image photos on Instagram & Flickr. We need your help to drive home that point again and again that you should not be drinking and driving. As it doesn’t take much to be over the legal limit. So a $20 cab ride can prevent a 10k ride home from the police for a DUI arrest. As it affects your career to car insurance premiums. So break out your mobile phone and start spreading the word with your thumps taping with texts, tweets & likes.