600,000 dead !!!!!!

[Mrburns2007]

On Talk Radio:

An ex-military man is leading a movement to have stronger drunk driving laws. He said that 50 people have died everyday for 33 years from drunk driving which dwarfs the 398 deaths in Iraq and yet it doesn't get enough press attention. More Americans die from drunk driving then terrorism has ever killed he said.

They went to commercial and I was at the store so I didn't hear anymore.

 

[CaptnKirk]

600,000 dead . . . from drinking.
Hell, Dubya used to kill that many braincells
. . . . on a weekend binge in college.

 

[rahvin]

Traffic related fatalities are right around 50,000 a year, over half involve substance abuse. The second highest cause after driver impairment is running red lights (I'm not positive on this I would have to check the FHWA statistics but it's the reason the FHWA has implimented the red light program and most states have installed cameras).

 

[308nato]

Originally posted by: CaptnKirk
600,000 dead . . . from drinking.
Hell, Dubya used to kill that many braincells
. . . . on a weekend binge in college.

So did I, but neither GW or I were bad off enough to poke green women from other planets there cap-tin.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Mortality remains leading cause of death.

 

[Nitemare]

Raise the blood alcohol limit and treat cars as lethal weapons.

If someone under the influence kills someone with his vehicle change him with murder 1

 

[DT4K]

I guess we should call it a failure and pull the DMV troops out.

 

[chess9]

The money that could be going to our local police departments to handle crime and traffic scofflaws is being spent in Iraq on police and crime. America needs about 5 years of heavy spending on OUR needs and infrastructure. Power, roads, bridges, schools, police, ports, and airports come to mind. But, politicians like to play with heavy machinery, so...there we are.

-Robert

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Raise the blood alcohol limit and treat cars as lethal weapons.
If someone under the influence kills someone with his vehicle change him with murder 1

Raising the blood alcohol limit merely constrains the people unlikely to drive under the influence in the first place. The rest of your suggestions provide stiff penalties for behavior that's unlikely to be modified by fear of penalties.

Traffic related fatalities are right around 50,000 a year, over half involve substance abuse. The second highest cause after driver impairment is running red lights (I'm not positive on this I would have to check the FHWA statistics but it's the reason the FHWA has implimented the red light program and most states have installed cameras).

I assume your annual tally includes random "car vs person" fatalities. My understanding is that typical highway fatality stats are in the low 40s per annum. Your statistic for substance abuse CANNOT possibly be correct unless of course you meant to say "substance use". Granted there is substantial evidence that addiction to ALCOHOL plays a prominent role in MVAs . . . references to substances such as MJ (most commonly reference non-alcohol agent) have marginal effects on fatalities.

There appears to be significant controversy as to whether "redlight cameras" affect fatality or accident rates in a positive manner. The only non-controversial element is that companies providing the systems are making money.

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: chess9
The money that could be going to our local police departments to handle crime and traffic scofflaws is being spent in Iraq on police and crime. America needs about 5 years of heavy spending on OUR needs and infrastructure. Power, roads, bridges, schools, police, ports, and airports come to mind. But, politicians like to play with heavy machinery, so...there we are.

-Robert

Would you like to point out the statistics showing the massive increase in crime that has occured here since we started spending money on Iraq?
Didn't think so.

 

[rjain]

Note that "substance-related fatalities" include accidents where a pedestrian was drunk or high.