Assignment 7A: Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

 Driving under the influence prevention
                   Opportunity:
                               Over 10,000 people are killed annually from either drinking and driving, or from someone else getting behind the wheel while under the influence.
                                  The Who: Those who drive while under the influence, get in the car with someone who is,  or are placed in a situation where this may occur
                                   The What:  People who drink and drive are at risk of hurting or killing themselves and others, and it needs to be stopped
                                    The Why:  People are put in situations where it would be easier to drive than to get somewhere through any other means so they make a bad choice and put peoples lives in danger


                                     Testing the Who: Many poeple have this need all over the world, no one is really safe from drunk drivers. Although those who are most likely to be affected or drive under the influence are those who attend parties, nightclubs, bars, or are out driving late at night, and of course those who believe that there is no problem in doing this.
                                      Testing the What: Drinking and driving is one of the nations leading killers and we must isolate what the problem boils down too, whether its peer pressure or the inability to make good decisions when under the influence
                                      Testing the Why: People drink and drive because they believe that they have the ability too and are unaware of the possible consequences of their actions when they do at that moment.

Interview 1:
                I interviewed a college freshmen girl who goes out to parties and bars frequently.  She told me that she has never personally driven while drunk and to the best of her memory had never been in a car with a driver who had been drinking previously, but she mentioned that she has seen it happen before, leaving parties and the bars.  When asked, she says she regrets not speaking up more when she sees people make these bad decisions and that the root of the problem is most likely people having their decision making sense diminished and driving home is easier than calling a taxi or Uber and having to figure out what to do with their own car.

Interview 2: 
                 I interviewed a high school junior who also frequently goes out and i was told that early on when kids are just starting to get their licence and become more comfortable behind the wheel, they are more likely to make bad decisions while driving. He told me he never drove drunk but had been in the car with a friend who had and that this was very common. Many of the people he knew had done it once or twice and sometimes had even bragged about their ability to drive well while under the influence. He confided in me that this concerns him and that may do not know the consequences of their actions, and if you have done it once, you are more likely to do it again.

Interview 3:
                 I interviewed a middle aged man who was very adamant in his belief of  stricter drunk driving punishments to deter would be offenders. He had never had an experience himself where had drunken and drove or was with someone who had but was very well versed on the facts. He said he understood exactly how dangerous it can be for those who do it and for others and has seen too many awful news stories about accidents caused by this to count.  When I proposed my idea of a standard car breathalyzer to start a vehicle at certain times of the night he supported it and believed that would be a big step in the right direction.

Interview 4: 
                  I interviewed a male fraternity pledge here at UF, and he was not surprised with the statistics about drunk driver deaths I told him. He explained to me that since most places he goes to is very close to campus, that he does not need a car and won't even take his own, rather opting to spend the money on an Uber or one of the many transportation services UF offers.  But he has seen this problem far too frequently in high school, even admitting to have driven while he should not have on one occasion.  He said that he chooses not to take his car when he goes out on the weekends because he does not want to risk making this mistake again, and maybe causing serious consequences this time. He said he does support the idea of a breathalyzer for your car and would get one for himself, but seemed unconvinced that many people he knew would get ones for themselves too.

Interview 5: 
                   My last interview was with an early 20's female, who had not gone out too much while in college, but enough to have seen drunk drivers leaving the bars and driving on the road. She was often dissuaded from going out for this particular reason, saying it was easier to say in and be safe rather than not knowing how she was going to get home. Not too many people she knew, to her knowledge, had drunken and drove at one point in their lives but she was aware of the problem based on the common news stories we all hear about, regarding accidents and deaths from drunk drivers. Again she said she would support a breathalyzer, but was skeptical to its popularity and whether even that would fully stop this issue.


Reflection: What I know now about the opportunity that I did not know before was that many people were willing to absolve themselves from blame fir their actions or the actions of their friends but also say how serious they believe the issue of drunk driving is. I found that everyone I talked to was willing to buy a breathalyzer that would be needed to start your car at certain times of the night, yet felt like others would not buy it.  I think one of the roots of this big problem of drunk driving is that nobody wants to take personal responsibility. Everybody knows the consequences of driving while under the influence, and that it is dangerous ans wrong, but somehow the rules are different when it is themselves behind the wheel or one of their friends. There needs to be a way we can stop drunk drivers permanently because television commercials and statistics are not reaching people. It is time that we crack down on this issue and start making a product that acts as a breathalyzer that will not start your car unless you test sober at certain times of the night. There should also be incentives for those who have one so more people will buy them. We need to remind people that this is not something to be normalized, but a crucial issue and we can prevent thousands of deaths every year.