mam@charm.UUCP (Matthew Marcus) (03/07/84)
I noticed something sorta odd, and I wonder if anyone can clarify it.
It seems that as of maybe 1/2 year ago, all the states simultaniously
decided that drunk driving was *THE MAJOR PROBLEM* and instituted crackdowns,
increases of drinking age, drunk traps, etc. Why all at once, when there was
little hue&cry before? Has FedGov passed The Word?
I wish to make clear that I am in no way, shape, or form an advocate
of DWI. Driving safely while sober is hard enough; why take the chance?
Still, the timing of the Big Push is a bit suspicious.
Flames to net.flame, wherein my 'n'-key rhythm is well-established.
{BTL}!charm!mamlincoln@eosp1.UUCP (Dick Lincoln) (03/08/84)
I believe the push to raise minimum drinking age and increase drunk driving penalties is a long delayed pendulum swing reaction to the excesses generated when the minimum drinking and voting ages were reduced during the Vietnam War. The theory then was, "If you're old enough to die for your country, you're old enough to drink and vote." (Not necessarily in that order on the same day.) :- Then over the many following years, statistics rolled in presumably proving that the incidence of drinking related highway accidents and fatalities has surged upward in correlation with the reduced drinking age, particularly for youths near the minimum age. Nothing spurs parents' action like a threat to their children, so the push is on to raise the age again, and increased action against drunk driving is a parallel effort primarily to save kids. As yet I haven't seen any concomitant reaction against "kiddy" voting, perhaps because the kiddies haven't taken to it like they did to drinking and driving (:-). At least it's a nice theory.
dfi@ihuxf.UUCP (Dan Iuster) (03/09/84)
How about raising the driving age instead of the drinking age? If one is to young to drink at 18 maybe one is (even more so) to young to drive at 16. I have seen a lot of young people with brand new cars trying to show off on the highway. Maybe a little bit more maturity is required. In Europe the minimum driving age is 18, and as far as I know (although I cannot quote any statistics) they have fewer car accidents then we do. Also, raising the drinking age won't do any good for all those 22 and older that drive intoxicated. Does anybody know what the percentage of underaged drunk drivers is in the whole population of drunk drivers? Dan Iuster ihuxf!dfi