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Drinking and Driving in Brazil Worksheet

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13 views

Drinking and Driving in Brazil Worksheet

Uploaded by

queirosvieiraolga
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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INSTITUTO FEDERAL DE EDUCAÇÃO, CIÊNCIA E TECNOLOGIA DO CEARÁ

Avenida 13 de maio, 2081 - Benfica, Fortaleza - CE, 60040-531. (85) 3307-3681


Disciplina: Conversação em Inglês I Conteúdo: Debatable Topic

Atividade de Conversação – 2021.1 Semestre: Data:

Aluno(a): Curso: Bacharelado em Turismo

Prof.: Marcellus Giovanni email: [email protected] Dpto: DTUHL

BRAZIL'S STRUGGLE TO CUT DEATHS ON CHAOTIC ROADS


Up to 40,000 people a year die on Brazil's roads - a toll blamed on poor driving conditions,
inexperienced motorists and high levels of drink-driving. Campaigners, including families of
some victims, are fighting to bring down that toll.

Fernando Diniz will never forget the night, in 2003, when he called his son's mobile phone and
a police officer answered saying there had been a "very serious car crash". When the Brazilian
engineer reached the accident site, he found his 20-year-old son's body lying in the road. He had
been a passenger in a car which hit an electricity pole and overturned.
"This is the worst pain a human being can be confronted with," Mr. Diniz says. Two 18-year-
old girls also in the car had died alongside his son, more statistics in Brazil's grim tally of road
deaths. After his son's death, Mr. Diniz started finding and offering support to families with
tragic stories similar to his own.
In 2009, Brazil ranked eight in the World Health Organization’s list of road deaths by
country. In 2010, 42,844 died from road accidents, according to Brazil's Ministry of Health - an
increase of 21% from 2006. "In almost all cases," says Mr.
Diniz, "the main feeling of victim's parents is the hate
against the driver who caused the accident. Mr. Diniz
created the pressure group Friendly Traffic and started
lobbying Brazil's congress for tougher laws to punish those
who drive over the alcohol limit. "I've grown used to
dissuading them from seeking their own kind of justice."
They aim to prevent the kind of accident which killed 25-
year-old Marcos Aurelio Menarbini Pereira, in Sao Paulo
state in August 2005. Mr. Pereira's motorcycle was hit by a
car whose driver had been drinking and was taking part in
a street race. The case is an example of an issue which still divides Brazilian judicial opinion:
should accidents caused by drivers over the alcohol limit be considered intentional crimes?
"The driver who killed Mr. Pereira assumed the risk of killing when he drank and decided to
engage in a street race," says public prosecutor Jose Heitor dos Santos. "He was sentenced to 14
years in prison."
Brazil introduced a zero-tolerance law in 2008 for drivers found to have any traceable amounts
of alcohol in their blood. Yet drivers involved in traffic accidents can still receive softer
sentences, such as being made to donate money to charity, as their crimes are often not
considered to have been deliberate.
Specialists agree that a tough law alone does not prevent accidents. They say it would be better
to invest in law enforcement, road safety education and improving roads.

Think about this problem and answer the questions below.


What do you think about drink driving?
Are the penalties for drinking and driving strict enough in your country?
Do people in your country follow the drink driving laws?
Have you ever been over the limit while driving?
Have you ever been breathalyzed by the police?
Do members of your family or friends drink and drive?
What are the penalties for drink driving in your country?
Do you think the police stop and test enough drivers?
How do you talk to someone about drunk driving?
Should the passengers of a drunk driver also be punished?
What penalty would you want for a drunk driver who hit you?
Is alcohol the biggest cause of road accidents in your country?
Do passengers have a responsibility to stop drunk people from driving?
Are there scary commercials in your country to stop drunk drivers?
What do you know about statistics for alcohol-related traffic accidents in your country?
Do you ever try to stop people from driving under the influence?
Do you think there should be zero tolerance for any alcohol in a driver’s bloodstream?
Do you have a favorite anti-drink-driving slogan, such as "Arrive Alive" or "Think Before You
Drink Before You Drive"?
Do you think the police have enough powers to stop and test people?
Do you think drivers should also be tested the night after drinking?
Should drink driving laws also apply to cyclists? How about drunk walking?
What is a primary way to discourage drinking and driving?

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