Nick Bristow

Persuasive Speech Outline

Stop Impaired Driving

Introduction:

Has anyone you know ever been injured or died from impaired driving?

Motivational Link: According to the CDC In 2016, more than 1 million drivers were arrested for
driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics and 10,497 people died in alcohol-impaired
driving crashes. To put those deaths into perspective, Clark College has 10,083 students. That
means our whole campus would be empty.

Thesis: Today I’m going to talk to you about why we need to stop driving impaired, the three
types of impairments I’m going to tell you about is alcohol, drugs and distracted driving.

Body:
I. Drunk Driving.
a. According to YoungMensHealthSite.org, when alcohol is introduced into your
body it; Slows down your reaction time, makes you less coordinated, impairs
your vision and makes it hard to think clearly and make good decisions.
b. An opposing argument when it comes to driving impaired due to alcohol is, they
don’t think they’re impaired because they have a higher tolerance therefore they
don’t feel drunk and think they can drive. Regardless of your tolerance though,
anything above .08 is considered legally impaired. .08 is equal to about 4 drinks.
Fun Fact you can still get a DUI even if you’re below .08.

Transition: Alcohol is a big factor when it comes to impaired driving, next I’m going to tell you
about the impairment from drugs.

II. Driving While High.

a. There’s many different types of drugs out there and they don’t all have the same
effect on the brain. According to DrugAbuse.gov, marijuana can slow reaction
time, impair judgment and decrease coordination.
b. Cocaine or methamphetamines can cause aggression and recklessness.
c. Other types of prescriptions can cause drowsiness, dizziness and impaired
cognitive functioning. These all can lead to a crash if you’re driving.

Transition: Now we’ve talked about the impairment from alcohol and drugs, lastly we’ll talk
about distracted driving.

III. Distracted Driving.

a. Sending or reading a text messages takes your eyes off the road for an average
of 5 seconds. At 55 MPH, that’s equivalent to driving the distance of a football
field with your eyes closed.
Nick Bristow
Persuasive Speech Outline
b. According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), in
2017, 3,166 people were killed from distracted driving. That includes eating, cell
phones, using the stereo, etc.
c. If you must use a cell phone, look into other options such as Bluetooth, ear piece
or just don’t use your cell phone.

Conclusion:

Review Statement: In conclusion, drunk driving, driving while high and distracted driving are
three types of impairments that we need to put an end to while driving before more people
end up hurt or dead.

For More Information: For more information you can go to

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/.
 Nick Bristow
Persuasive Speech Outline
Works Cited:

Andrew.currin.ctr@dot.gov. “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” NHTSA, 8 May 2019,

www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving.

“Clark College.” Clark College: Quick Facts, 2018,

www.clark.edu/about/governance/facts/index.php.

“Impaired Driving: Get the Facts | Motor Vehicle Safety | CDC Injury Center.” Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Drugged Driving.” NIDA, Mar. 2019,

www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving.