Road diving is an essential aspect of human everyday existence. It aids our going to work, visiting loved ones, stopping at the grocery store, and a lot more advantages than we can mention. Seeing that we get a lot of things done faster and easier with driving, it is only normal that we learn how to drive properly and safely.

As useful and resourceful as road driving is, it has also claimed the lives of many and even left several people with lasting scars and injuries. This is not because road diving is bad in itself, but because the people behind the wheels are not doing some things right, on purpose, or unintentionally. Some of the tips to safe driving anywhere are discussed below:

Never drink and drive

Drinking while driving is almost consequential to impending road accidents because people who drink and drive are prone to potential loss of concentration and coordination behind the wheels. Although the aftermath of drinking is different for various people, it is still not an advisable thing to do when driving.

If you will be hanging out with some friends till late at night and would most likely drink, you should take a cab or call on someone to take you home.

Assume you are the only sane person

 This singular assumption has saved a lot of people from serious accidents. When driving, you should never assume that the driver of the car next to you is sane. It is a standing rule that will keep you safe.

Some people could be in so much hurry that they don’t want to wait to see the green light or follow traffic rules. So, drivers should always stay alert for contingencies as they drive and leave a chance for the errors of other drivers. Give reasonable space between your car and the next car, always check your mirrors, and you should be fine.

Follow traffic rules

Traffic rules are there to guide how you drive and bring everyone under the same understanding. A “No U-turn” sign makes the person on the other side sure that “nobody in their right senses should try to make a turn here”. However, remember that an assumption that not everyone is in their right senses will help avoid problems.

Alcohol addiction is one of the most common substance addictions in the US and the world at large. Records have it that people who abuse alcohol are liable to some aftereffects of its use. These aftereffects can be either good or bad because people have different rationales as to why they drink alcohol excessively.

Alcohol addiction is sometimes called alcoholism and is common to both the young and old. Alcohol can act as a depressant that proves to be temporarily useful to people experiencing stress disorder and traumatic breakdown. Some people even take alcohol as a way out of their pain, emotional issues, work, and life stress.

However good those might sound; the effects of alcohol abuse can lead to dangerous mental impairment and loss of control. Alcohol addiction sometimes breeds a wrong sense of judgment and false boldness for those suffering low self-esteem and depression. Most people take it as an easy path to do those things they are naturally unable to do.

Most criminal cases like murder, rape, robbery, and road rage are usually induced by alcohol. Some people might have the thought of doing bad things but are void of the confidence to conjure such evil. Alcohol abuse distorts people’s senses of control, limits, and motivation which aids them to carry out things that their sense of norm and value will naturally forbid.

It is not news that some of the most dangerous communities in various countries are places where alcohol and other addictive substances are seriously abused. If proper caution is taken and those affected are brought to treatment, there is a high tendency that the crime rate will reduce drastically.

Rape, for instance, is one behavior that a person in his right senses will not do. However, when overtaken by intoxication, it is almost impossible to overturn and take charge. The following are effects of alcohol abuse that will likely induce crime:

• Brain damage
• Behavioral changes
• Hallucination
• Alcohol dependence
• Depression

Extensive research on the subject of alcohol abuse and crime suggests that excessive alcohol consumption and criminal behavior are interrelated.

Researchers recognize that just by drinking alcohol a person doesn’t become a criminal. Similarly, not consuming alcohol does not prevent someone from committing crimes.

Studies show a clear pattern, in other words, a sequence of links that connect excessive drinking, poor judgement, aggressive and criminal behavior, and legal consequences. The proof of this logic is the high number of people currently in prisons or living with the stigma of a criminal record also have a history of drinking problem.

It is also well known that when a person’s drinking is severe and when it affects the normal functioning of the mind or body, it impacts their family, society and career. Seeking treatment and rehabilitation for alcohol addiction or problematic drinking habits is the best way to avoid the worst possible consequences.

Problematic drinking has many, many negative consequences. To understand the connection between alcohol abuse and crime, it is important to know the common criminal behaviors and the kinds of penalties they carry. But another important consideration is the impact of these criminal behaviors on the victims.

Everyday sad stories in the media confirm that lack of control over alcohol use by one person rarely has one victim, and the consequences are rarely short lived. Crimes as a consequence of alcohol abuse are likely to cause the offender to lose some money or freedom. But, more importantly, those crimes usually have long lasting impacts on family, friends, or even complete strangers. The problem may be centered on one person, but the consequences have ripple affects.

Alcohol is considered more likely to be a reason in violence where the attacker and the victim know each other. About two-thirds of crimes committed by an intimate person such as a spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend have been reported to be related to alcohol consumption. Crimes generally associated with alcohol include domestic abuse and violence, underage drinking, robbery, assault and rape.

The best way to prevent such trauma and heart ache in the society is for everyone to take personal responsibility when it comes to consuming alcohol.  

Accepting personal responsibility means acknowledging that each individual is responsible for their choices in life. It is not the fault of someone else if a person decides to take a drug or drink alcohol. If an addict continues to use alcohol in excess they should accept that there are consequences to their actions. Seeking immediate help if any signs of excessive consumption or uncontrolled drinking behavior are noticed is the responsible thing to do.  

It is heartbreaking when peaceful, loving homes and marriages are destroyed due to the stress and strain caused by drug and alcohol abuse.

When a partner in a marriage or long-term relationship abuses alcohol or drugs, the consequences can be far-reaching and could create difficult family situations. Some say that it is like throwing a stone into a quiet pool of water which creates a ripple effect of impacts beyond an immediate circle.

The drug habit is an expensive one. As a consequence, the addict doesn’t care that the money used to pay for drugs dips into family finances which should have been spent for food, housing, children’s education and other bills associated with raising a family.

It is unfortunate that the effects of one person’s irresponsible use of drugs or alcohol are felt by his or her children, relatives, friends, and co-workers. The highest price is often paid by the addict’s wife or partner.

Another factor in the ripple effect is the strong connection between drug abuse and rate of crime. One of the reasons for this crime connection could be the need for money to buy drugs which in turn could tempt the person to resort to crime.

However, more often than not, violent crimes take place when people act under the influence of drugs in a way that they would not act when they are sober. Most of the time, these crimes happen within the family itself. Examples include addiction-related spousal and child abuse.

As alcohol consumption or excessive drug use progressively increases, it naturally takes away the quality time between the couple in a marriage. The emotional distance that is created between the couple is hard to get over. Many couples in such situations report frequent fights and arguments which sometimes turn violent and out of control.

This pattern can become a vicious cycle because after a serious fight the partner with the addiction issues could resort to using more of the addictive substances in an attempt to get away from facing the reality and to pacify stress.

In addition, the expenses related to the drug use go much beyond just their cost. For instance, overdoses, drug-related illnesses, traffic accidents are bound to happen that are directly or indirectly related to the drug abuse.

Families where one of the partners is addicted to drugs or alcohol usually find themselves in the difficult situation of a downward spiral that is out of their control. Luckily, there is hope. It is important to seek help if you or your partner is facing a problem with alcohol or drug abuse. There are proven treatment options to help the substance abuser rehabilitate, and strategies to help restore family relationships. Time is the essence, the earlier you take action the better.

There are lots of uses for crude oil in North America. There is the need in the transportation, commercial, residential and transportation sector.

Hence, it does not come as a surprise that we have more petroleum products than we used to have before. The surprising part is, the United States of America has a high need for these product, followed by China.

It would also interest you to know that, the three largest countries in North America are among the top ten oil nations which consume oil. These countries are the United States, Canada and Mexico.

On a daily basis, Americans consume around 20 million barrels of petroleum products, and this is more than the grand total of the European Union which is 15 barrels per day.

In 2018, Canada was 7^th, with just  above 2.2 million barrels on a daily basis, with the capita usage rate being very high. It was 64.4 barrels daily per 1000 people, and ranked ahead of the United States.

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According to the information released by the United States Energy Information Administration in 2017, around 14 million barrels of the total consumption of petroleum was used for transportation. The industrial sector was accountable for almost a quarter of the total.

The residential use accounted for 3%, the commercial sector had 2%, and the electrical power generation accounted for 1% of the entire consumption.

Also, with reference to the National Energy Board of Canada, the transportation sector is responsible for around two-thirds of the oil demands of Canada, and this is because of the absolute size of the nation, and the long distances which people and goods must transit between localities, alongside with the high number of vehicles used.

Furthermore, the industrial sector can be held accountable for around 30% of oil demand, and this includes oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, mining and agriculture.

To wrap it up, North Americans are implored to reduce the consumption of oil, because of the resultant effect which it has on the ozone layer.