Driving under the influence

Driving under the influence, drink driving, drunk driving, or drinking and driving is the act of operating a motor vehicle after having consumed alcohol (ethanol) or other drugs, to the degree that mental and motor skills are impaired. It is illegal in most jurisdictions. Several anti-drink driving advertising campaigns have aimed to raise awareness of the legal situation and the dangers of driving while intoxicated. Drunk driving is responsible for a very large number of deaths, injuries, damage and accidents every year.

Philosophical perspectives

An overview of the philosophical approach to DUI, especially with respect to ethical and pedagogical concerns, is James B. Gould's "A Sobering Topic: Discussing Drunk Driving in Introductory Ethics" in 'Teaching Philosophy' 21:4 (December 1998), 339-360.

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Gould's central point is that drunk driving offers an ethical case that, for most people, is clear-cut in the fundamentals, familiar from everyday life, and extraordinarily complicated in the details. In other words, it's ideal for philosophical analysis at the introductory level.

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He cites the few articles by academic philosophers that he could find:

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• Douglas N. Husak, "Is Drunk Driving a Serious Offense?" 'Philosophy and Public Affairs' 23 (1994).
• Bonnie Steinbock, "Drunk Driving." 'Philosophy and Public Affairs' 14 (1985).
• James D. Stuart, "Deterrence, Desert and Drunk Driving," 'Public Affairs Quarterly' 3 (1989).