According to the evolving times, the insurance business has undergone various innovations and inventions. The introduction of the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI), which covers the risks associated with driving under the influence (DUI) or while intoxicated, is one such shift that was required by the changing times. (DWI). The policy used to primarily focus on uniformed personnel, but as times have changed, it has now been diversified to encompass other sectors of the American economy, like the health sector. In the event of any incident brought on by their driving, such criminals are protected by the insurance policy. The cover also ensures compensation of such driver in case of death to their families. The under the influence and the intoxication are mainly attributed to drug and substance abuse. The forms of drugs used vary from one individual to the other, but the most common poisoning is caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. This paper seeks to examine the effects of such drivers to the society and the general public of the United States. The question is are the DUI and DWI necessary given the impact they have on the society.
Background on the SGLI
The United States government trace its history of the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance during 1914 during the World War 1 (Callan, Schmid, & Voogd, 2011). At that time in history the United States armed forces suffered a significant number of death and casualties as a result of the war. Due to a large number of the death and casualties involved the Private insurance companies who were offering the life insurance cover to the members of the army were no longer willing to continue covering the risk of life insurance. The problem was attributed to the unpredictable nature of the numbers of death that could occur. Actuaries who are the people with the relevant skills to predict death for the insurance companies found it difficult to estimate the number of death that could occur during war. The cost of covering such risks proved a hard task for any insurance company to venture as the cost could have been very high for the companies given the estimated value of compensating just one life yet at war the fatalities could be large in numbers. The United States government had to come up with the idea to offset the disadvantages created in the time of war to the service members who the insurance companies were reluctant to cover due to the huge cost that could have been involved. To do this, the United States government started the life insurance program for its service members. This formed the base for the current program that we know as the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance. The modern-day Servicemen's Group Life Insurance was born on September 25, 1965, under the Public Law 89-214 (Callan, Schmid, & Voogd, 2011). The initial aim was to provide a life cover for the uniformed members of the United States.
Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI)
Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is a program that provides low-cost term insurance coverage to the members of the uniformed services (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2017). The cover could, later on, change to accommodate other sectors of the economy such as the health sector. It used to be a group of life insurance policy that was purchased by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) from a commercial life insurance. The policy doesn't need an application for eligible members, but one is automatically covered. Eligibility was based on enrollment in the uniformed service of the United States. However, Servicemembers are given the provision for making changes to their SGLI coverage (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2017). In the case of separation from the service, an individual is allowed to convert the SGLI program to an individual insurance policy. The policy incorporates the Driving under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) as key areas which it covers for the uniformed servicemen and women and other government sectors. The private sector, later on, revisited its stand on the policy and started offering the policy once again in partnership with the United States government. The question is how sustainable is the policy in the long run, considering the impact it has on the United States society. Especially considering that the insurance covers even people with a DWI record which is very risky (Rose, 2016).
Loss of Human Life
Loss of human life caused by the drivers is something that needs consideration as no one is immune to the effects of such drivers (AlcoholSubstance abuse, 2010). The driver's acts may result in him causing death for the third party member who was going about his normal routines. The third party member might be observing the road rules properly, but an individual under the influence or intoxicated abuses his rights by causing a collision with an innocent person. How the balance between the third party and the intoxicated driver rights will be achieved remains a mystery. What could be even more painful is that the collision results in the death of the third party member. It is indeed painful to lose a soul out of someone else's carelessness. The driver might also lose his life due to the influence or the intoxication (AlcoholSubstance abuse, 2010). The value of human life cannot be fully compensated as it is not measurable in value. The policy needs to be revised if we are to reduce the number of deaths on United States roads as most accidents have been established to occur due to either the driver being under the influence or intoxication of something like excessive alcohol consumption. The initial plan of the policy was to cover the soldiers on duty, but extending it to various sectors of the economy was indeed a mistake as a result of the lives lost.
Trauma to the Bereaved
The resultant death caused by such drivers causes a lot of Trauma to the surviving members of the family (Hearts for Families, 2015). It takes time to heal and move on after losing a loved one in the family or society as a whole. The memories of such loved ones will keep on triggering in the minds of the surviving families, especially concerning the roles they played in the family or society. The gap created as a result of the loss of life might end up resulting in depression for surviving members. Such depression might result in other health complications that will have a long effect on the surviving families if counseling will not be offered. The DUI and DWI families are also traumatized because even though the member will have to leave the benefits to them from the insurance companies, still the gap of a loved one cannot be compensated by the insurance benefits. This poses the question of whether it is necessarily good to risk someone's life just by the justification that in case of an eventuality, compensation will be provided. Especially given that the actions that caused the accident to occur could have been avoided if the driver under intoxication or influence could have been forbidden by law to drive. One can hire a driver once he or she establishes that he is under the influence or intoxicated, both for his safety and the safety of the public.
Potential Dream Cuts
A generation and dreams might end up being shuttered just because of the driver under the influence or driving while intoxicated. The DUI or DWI normally cause accidents even for the pedestrians crossing the roads at Zebra crossing sections. This is due to the impaired vision that they suffer while driving, causing them not to recognize road signs. The main casualties are normally the kids or teens. It is established how a significant number of teens lose their lives due to the carelessness caused by drunk driving and drivers. Teens are endowed with a lot of potentials that if used well might be tapped for the help of the society. It is so unfortunate for teens to lose a life at such a tender age as a result of drunk drivers or intoxicated drivers. A lot of talent will go to waste, which could have helped change the world. Teens could also serve as the people to continue a generation tree for the family, and once such a life is lost this could also probably spell doom for the continuation of a generation. The compensation of parents for the death of their children may not dilute the effects of losing the child.
Influence On the Society Morals
The morals of society are also likely to be corrupted. If an individual knows that the action will not attract dire consequences as they are already covered by an insurance policy, then automatically that individual will be less cautious (Bjorklund, 2017). If such provision of protection could not have been included, maybe the society would be more cautious and careful to commit such offenses, but given the fact that the society knows it is already secured in its action, then negligence has a high chance of occurrence. What is the role of such an act in the place of drug and substance abuse is also another factor as it promotes drug and substance abuse in the society? This will be dangerous, especially for the youth who will just find it okay to continue using drugs and driving as already they are insured. The effects of drug and substance abuse will also affect the various sectors of the economy. A good example is how the government will have to come up with rehab centers to help curb the menace in the United States society. Additionally, due to addiction, another sector such as school dropout could be on the rise, which might have later on dire consequences both for the dropout and the society as a whole.
The Cost of the Policy to the Government and the Society
The cost of alcohol-related crashes in the United States is also estimated to be to the tune of $114.3 billion (AlcoholSubstance abuse, 2010). The cost covers a wide area such as the destruction of properties, health bills, social effects, and disruption of traffic as a result of accidents or careless driving. However, the fines collected can only cater to 63% of the total cost of crashes. This, therefore, causes the government to spend taxpayer's money on catering for the remaining percentage cost. The taxpayer money is diverted for trying to curb a mess that the insurance companies are benefiting from. Indeed, regulations and laws need to be enacted to ensure that the insurance cover comprehensively covers the whole cost that results from the DUI or DWI. The money could have been used for other development purposes for a better society. This indicates that the SGLI needs to be abolished as they prove to be expensive across all sectors of the economy.
Disruption of Traffic
Disruption of traffic when the police are chasing after a drunk driver has also become a common trend on United States roads. This happens when the police are chasing a drunk driver who generally due to intoxication or influence usually tries to run away. Such a situation is also experienced in other countries such as Singapore (Jia, 2016). The police, in the duty of protecting the driver's life and the life of others on the road, try to stop the vehicle but since the driver is under the influence, he might intentionally or unintentionally try to run away. The traffic disrupted will not be factored in for the drunk driver's fine, yet the other people's time and economic activities could have been interfered with. The time lost as a result of the disruption cannot be recovered even if the driver will be arrested and fined.
Mental Incapacitation
Suicide cases have been on the rise in the United States Army as a result of substance abuse that results typically in the psychological incapacitation of the individual involved. The insurance policy encourages the continued use of drugs in the United States Army (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013). The effects of drugs, whether in the military or anywhere else, will always give someone an impaired judgment concerning issues, hence the resultant suicide cases. The military is supposed to be a disciplined force as they are highly trained on the discipline and ways of managing situations. Unfortunately, given the effects of drugs on any individual, the military, not being an exemption, is faced with the challenge of impaired judgment on issues, hence the resulting suicide deaths. The uniformed servicemen and women, therefore, end up making the wrong decision that might cause them to hang or commit suicide. It is unfortunate to lose countrymen in service due to addiction or being under the influence, especially considering the role they play in protecting the borders of the United States.
Loss of the Professional License
Criminal records and the advancement of one's career are also put in place in line with the DUI or DWI, as colleges and universities ask for a record of any criminal conviction before admission to the university (Ballman, 2014). If it is established that an individual has a history of criminal records, the university might be reluctant to admit them due to the safety of other students in the college. Reckless driving in a university is highly restricted to avoid the loss of lives of other students as safety records of universities are important for student enrollment. Similarly, if you seek financial aid, your DUI records are factored in the decision of the advancement of the loan. Certain professionals such as lawyers and doctors have a monitoring agency that is assigned to monitor the code of conduct for individuals. The regulations for such professionals require that any arrest is disclosed to the licensing agencies, and depending on the magnitude of the criminal offense, the agency might cancel the license. If it is established that you caused a death as a result of being intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, then it is effortless for the license to be revoked. Drivers who are involved in accidents have their licenses revoked, whether they are passenger service vehicle drivers or private drivers. This will automatically cause a loss of job for any individual whose license has been revoked. The effects of losing a job are devastating, especially for the family or people who were dependent on you as the sole provider.
Job Loss
The trickling effect of job loss, especially due to the revocation of a license, might lead to an increase in criminal level rates in society. The jobless will certainly look for a way to earn a living for their survival, and given that their license had already been revoked, they might result in criminal activities for survival. The people who used to depend on the professionals whose licenses have been revoked might also find it difficult to survive, and they might fall victim and join criminal gangs or acts for survival. Criminals will automatically scare away investors from investing in a certain area, and therefore the development of an area, in the long run, might suffer economic losses. This will affect both the people who contributed to such a situation and those who did not participate in such acts. This begs the question of how the rights of the minority can be given room to disadvantage the general public.
Physical Incapacitation
Accidents caused by the DUI or DWI might result in the physical incapacitation of an individual. Many people today are physically damaged as a result of accidents that they might be involved in or caused by drivers under the influence or intoxicated. An individual who is born without any deformity that then occurs as a result of careless drivers will find it difficult to conform to the new state of physical incapacitation. Adapting to the new state will take a lot of time and counseling sessions before an individual finally accepts their state. On the other hand, the other family members might also find it difficult to accept the new realities of living with someone with physical incapacitation. Once you are used to someone without any physical incapacitation, then suddenly due to an accident it happens that you now have a damaged individual, the process of adapting and changing to conform to the new realities will undoubtedly need time. Even if one is compensated, the new state will always cause them a lot of suffering.
Conclusion
It is quite clear that the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) cover as a result of acts of the drivers under the influence or driving while intoxicated promotes the various challenges and ills we experience in society today. The place of the insurance cover was initially for the military on duty, especially during wars. Its inclusion in other sectors of society needs to be reviewed as it is established that the negative impacts far outweigh the benefits of the scheme. Compensating offenders is a way of rewarding their acts and will contribute to the promotion of such a vice in society, which is risky. Every right or privilege experienced must be accompanied by some restriction and responsibility. The rights of the minorities such as the drivers under the influence or drivers while intoxicated acts should not be left to overshadow the rights of others who are sober in society. This policy needs to change if we are to have a progressive society where every right is respected, and order is observed in a progressive society. The question is, aside from benefiting insurance companies to make a profit and the compensation advanced, what benefit is the cover to the general public? What moral values does such a policy promote in society is another area of concern about the insurance policy.
References
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Ballman, D. (2014, January 21). 9 Ways A DUI Will Destroy Your Career. Retrieved December 12, 2017, from Aol: https://www.aol.com/2014/01/21/dui-will-destroy-your-career/
Bjorklund, A. (2017). DUI / DWI Defense: Preventing a Drunk Driving Arrest. Praetorian Publishing,
Callan, M., Schmid, C., & Voogd, M. (2011). Analysis of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance policy: History, Current Issues, and Future Implication. Monterey.
Hearts for Families. (2015, April 15). Drunk driving: It affects everyone. Retrieved December 12, 2017, from Hearts for Families: http://heartsforfamilies.org/blog/blog-april-2015-drunk-driving-it-affects-everyone.aspx
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National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2013, March). Substance Abuse in the Military. Retrieved December 12, 2017, from National Institute on Drug Abuse: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/substance-abuse-in-military
Rose, J. (2016, September 15). Can You Get Approved For Life Insurance With A DWI On Your Record? Retrieved December 12, 2017, from Life insurance by Jeff: https://lifeinsurancebyjeff.com/life-insurance-with-a-dwi/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2017, April). Servicemembers' and Veterans' Group Life Insurance Handbook. Retrieved December 11, 2017, from Benefit.va.gov: https://www.benefits.va.gov/INSURANCE/resources_handbook_ins.asp
