Drunk driving has become a huge issue in the U.S. We’re hearing more and more stories of drunk driving and people have come up with so many different ways to combat this issue. However, have we seen any improvement? Organizations like M.A.D.D. have been trying to help for many years now, but drinking and driving still continues. If anything the problem seems to have gotten bigger. So, what is the key that will end drunk driving? Is it even possible to find a solution to this problem?

The first thing we should probably do is find out why people even drink in the first place. There are people who like to drink socially and just do it to relax and unwind. Then there are other people who drink because they want to feel good. Alcohol is their way of running away from their problems. Pretty soon these good feelings from drinking simply become a way of life. They’re in denial and don’t feel drunk when they get behind the wheel. Lastly, there are individuals who drunk drive without thinking of the consequences. These people feel invincible - like nothing could possibly happen to them.

Many psychologists will tell you that in order to change people’s behavior, you have to offer some kind of positive reinforcement for good behavior. Perhaps cutting down the penalties of repeat offenders could be one kind of reward.

Based on this notion of rewarding good behavior, we could conclude that perhaps the key to end drunk driving is to offer repeat drunk driving offenders incentives for not drinking and driving. Instead of repeatedly punishing them - which doesn’t seem to be working right now - perhaps positive reinforcement will help.

Maria Palma is a freelance writer committed to helping people with their San Diego DUI. Make sure to hire a professional and experienced DUI lawyer in San Diego.