Spring 2024 Award Winner: One Tough Student Scholarship

Giselle Hernandez

Giselle has been awarded the Spring 2024 James Kennedy One Tough Student Scholarship. Giselle is a sophomore at San Diego State University where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree. We are delighted to provide some financial assistance to Giselle as she pursues her degree.

Read Giselle’s Essay:

Drunk driving accidents continue to be a concerning issue with huge consequences for individuals and society as a whole. These accidents result in injuries, fatalities, and property damage. Tragic accidents make it essential to look for a way to reduce these accidents at a societal level and steps we can take to prevent these accidents by combining legislation, education, and public awareness to reduce e drunk accidents at a societal level.

One crucial and personally I think the most important aspect of addressing drunk accidents is the enactment and enforcement of strict laws. These laws impose significant penalties on those caught driving under the influence. Fines, license suspension, and even imprisonment should be utilized to discourage individuals from making the dangerous choice of driving while intoxicated. In order to enforce and prove that the laws towards drunk drivers are strict, there will be some way to add some random sobriety checkpoints to fight against drunk driving and make this prove. These checkpoints can help lower the number of people driving while intoxicated.

Another crucial way to address drunk accidents is education at any level. For example, shifting societal norms about drinking and driving, it can be in social media , public awareness campaigns that educate about the dangers and consequences of drunk driving. These campaigns should have an objective to target young and adult populations, since we are not only limiting adults to be drunk drivers. School and community programs should also play a vital role in educating individuals about the risks associated with drunk driving, that there can be designated drivers or alternative transportation.

I will mention some steps we can take to prevent drunk driving in my community. Launch public awareness campaigns through social media, community events, and local media to educate residents about the dangers of drunk driving, promote designated driver programs and safe ride services to provide alternative transportation options since my community is mostly college students this is a way to promote public awareness because we are mostly always on social media, parties, campus or in our cellphone.

Advocate for sobriety checkpoints, stronger laws, and engage schools and youth organizations to promote responsible decision-making, this is also a way to reduce drunk accidents in my community which is around campus. Collaborate with local businesses, join or establish volunteer organizations focused on drunk driving prevention, and collect and analyze data on drunk driving incidents within your community. These efforts will collectively help create a safer environment and deter drunk driving.

Reducing drunk driving accidents is a collective effort that requires the involvement of individuals, communities, law enforcement, and policymakers. By implementing and enforcing strict laws, conducting sobriety checkpoints, encouraging alternative transportation, and raising public awareness, society can make significant strides in preventing drunk driving accidents. In addition, following the presented steps in this essay can help you and your community reduce the risk of drunk accidents and become a healthy and protected community. s Through these combined efforts, society can work towards creating safer roads and a future with fewer drunk driving accidents.