Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Driving Under the Limit

teh
I really don’t want to get into this politically incorrect topic but the SJ-R has forced me into it. Or maybe it’s the Illinois State Police. Look at this paragraph from the SJ-R’s “This Just In…” page on their website:
Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent called impaired driving one of America's most deadly problems. In 2004, more than 15,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.01 or higher.
0.01? Oh please. Show me where having a blood alcohol level of 0.01 caused an accident. Look, accidents happen to people who have had something to drink. Sometimes alcohol is a factor and sometimes not. I find it extremely hard to believe someone with a 0.01 level caused an accident because they had half a beer.

No one, certainly not me, is arguing that getting blasted and driving is a good idea or that it doesn’t greatly increase the chances of causing an accident. But you can go too far with this concept and, messing with statistics, make it seem like any drinking is cause for major concern. Don’t drink and drive but please don’t lie to me about the dangers of all those reckless 0.01 drivers out there either.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

come on...I believe it is meant to be read that anyone who has had a drink may cause an accident, does not mean that the BOC was exactly 0.01...understand?

Dave said...

Ummm...no, I don't.

Anonymous said...

0.01 is not zero...that's all it's saying--if you drink you may be impaired...0.01 is not the issue.

Dave said...

Implying that 0.01 is causing accidents is MY issue.

A Bishops Wife said...

Of course not drinking at all would be ideal but I think sleepy, tired drivers are more of an impairment than a level of 0.01.

Anonymous said...

you are all missing the point...the author should have just said, anyone who has had a drink vs. the anything over 0.01 statement...probably a cop, actuary or engineer wrote the 0.01---since that is how it is classified in the field...#'s.

John said...

Dave-
I see your point. Using a number like that is deceiving, especially when it would have been better to say "having a drink is more likely to cause" than including a figure for a figure's sake. Are they doing a breathalyzer on every accident now to make sure they've taken note of everyone over 0.01? I think some mouthwashes will give you at least a 0.01 reading. Oh, no. Look out everyone, I've brushed my teeth this morning . . . and used mouthwash.

I DO NOT condone drinking and driving, but this article is worded in a really misleading way.