February 11, 2013
While numbers from the Virginia Department of Motor vehicles shows a slight decline in Virginia Car Accidents related to drunk driving, the number of motorists convicted on charges of driving under the influence remains steady. Studies show that roughly one-third of these convicted drunk drivers are repeat offenders. This leaves many people wondering what can be done to curb the problem of repeat drunk drivers.
While many believe harsher punishments are the answer to this conundrum, a new study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse offers some new insight that contradicts this theory. According to EurekAlert!, researchers found that rats involved in a study examining alcohol consumption and associative punishment will go back to drinking alcohol once negative consequences for their drinking is removed. During the study, rats were given alcohol in a home environment. They were then offered alcohol again, but this time in an environment where punishment was administered for the behavior. This caused the rats to stop drinking, but only temporarily. Once reintroduced to alcohol in the home environment, they began drinking again.
Experts say the results can likely explain why a drunk driver will engage in the behavior after having already been punished numerous times.
The Norfolk Personal Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley hope a better understanding of the psychological triggers that cause a person to drink will help to reduce the number of drunk drivers in the state of Virginia.
