5 ms·
You should have been alive in the 1970s (maybe you were) when drunk driving was truly a slap-on-the-wrist offense. In 1980 came MADD, and though their ad camp
by kerneloftruth 5y ago
You should have been alive in the 1970s (maybe you were) when drunk driving was truly a slap-on-the-wrist offense. In 1980 came MADD, and though their ad campaigns were annoying -- they and other similar efforts were effective. Since 1982, drunk driving fatalities in the US has decreased 52%, while total traffic fatalities have declined 18%. Among persons under 21, drunk driving fatalities have decreased 83%.[1]
[1] https://www.responsibility.org/alcohol-statistics/drunk-driving-statistics/drunk-driving-fatality-statistics/ https://www.responsibility.org/alcohol-statistics/drunk-driv...
- jchw 5y agoI wasn't alive in the 1970's, so I indeed lack that context. However, I'm not arguing against punishment for drunk driving or anything crazy like that, just that it's possible we've passed the ideal point for how much punishment is appropriate for drunk driving. As far as I can tell, the journalist isn't either, just arguing that it should be covered by more generalized offenses rather than ones specific to alcohol. To be honest, that doesn't seem too radical.
- SpelingBeeChamp 5y agoA journalist "advocating" for anything is already pretty radical. I'm sorta one, and I'll be the first to say that the newsroom is not a place for activism.
- cascom 5y agoFun with statistics…my gut tells me that if we looked at all fatalities on road miles driven basis, I’m not sure these statistics would look so impressive how much of that number is due to people wearing seatbelts, airbags/safer cars? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_safety_in_the_United_States https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_safety_in_the...
- edmundsauto 5y agoYou can use total fatalities as the baseline - 18% drop, which includes effects of the massive drunk driving fatalities.