"According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2000 America experienced the largest percentage increase in alcohol-related traffic deaths on record. 17,380 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes - an average of one every half-hour. These deaths constituted approximately 41 percent of the 41,945 total traffic fatalities" (MADD, 2003). The issue of harsher penalties for convicted criminals is a topic of heated debate in this country. In every state it is against the law to operate an automobile while impaired to the point that you can not safely operate a motor vehicle. If the impaired person is arrested by the police, a suspension of his or her driver's license will usually be the result. There are certain programs available to first-time offenders, that allows the defendant's punishment to be decreased under certain circumstances. …
