|
Web posted Wednesday, May
28, 2003
|
 |
Editorial: State should get tougher on
drunken drivers
Carolina Morning News
The
South Carolina Legislature confronts a lot of
tough problems, so it would seem that when an
issue with only one logical answer comes along,
legislators would be only too quick to address it.
That is not necessarily the case, as is
exemplified by their foot-dragging on a bill to
lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for DUI from
the current 0.10 percent to 0.08
percent.
Things are finally heading in the
right direction with this common-sense piece of
legislation. The House, behind the leadership of
Hilton Head Island Rep. Jo Anne Gilham, has at
last seen the light and passed a measure that gets
tougher on drunken driving. Now it's up to the
Senate, which has only a few more days in the
current session to deal with the bill.
It
shouldn't take even one more hour. The measure
makes sense at every possible level. Most
importantly, its passage would get more drunks off
the road. Also, if the state doesn't pass it, then
South Carolina stands to lose federal highway
funds. Given current budgetary woes and the
condition of South Carolina's roads, taxpayers can
hardly afford such negligence.
Most
neighboring states, including Georgia, have
adopted the .08 limit.
According to the
South Carolina chapter of Mothers Against Drunk
Driving, "more than 20 percent of the drinking
drivers involved in fatal alcohol-related traffic
crashes have a BAC level below a .10." MADD
statistics also show that South Carolina has the
most alcohol-related fatalities according to miles
driven.
The statistics, in this case, don't
lie. It's time for the state to get serious about
drunken driving.
| | |
.gif){kind=spacer}
.gif){kind=spacer}