Letter to the Editor: Reality check
BY Chris Vaughn, Tulsa
Friday, January 18, 2013
1/18/13 at 7:29 AM
From the article, "Court wary of warrantless DUI blood tests," Jan. 10:
"....against the backdrop of a serious national problem of more than 10,000 deaths from crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers in 2010, about one every 51 minutes."
I understand this to mean that 10,000 deaths occurred in one calendar year. If so, sounds like a bunch to me. Seems like this should be one of those lead stories, maybe even front page news. Evening news? Why not.
Or better yet, how about some laws to ban the sale of alcohol in gallon containers. Limit sales to half-pint bottles only. No more beer in 20-packs - singles only. Bottles of wine - background checks required.
Might also want to limit how fast a car can go - top end of 15 mph sounds reasonable.
We may not save everybody, but it is a start.
Sad thing about this is that of those 10,000 deaths, 26 weren't killed in one crash. Bet something would get done then.
From Columbine in 1999 to the present, the numbers killed in mass shootings don't come close to the numbers that died in one year involving alcohol-impaired drivers.
But the outcry for bans on guns and high-capacity clips, limited sale of ammunition and increased background checks is overwhelming.
I just wonder how those families affected by the loss of loved ones to alcohol-impaired drivers must feel.
Just give it some thought.
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