Raise the drinking age to 25?

[nustart23]

Raise the drinking age to 25?

[GovernmentShrinker]

For serious speeding, yes. When someone is racing and weaving down a crowded highway at 90 mph, I don't think we should have to wait for him to kill someone before meting out a punishment sufficient to convince him not to ever do it again.

[CSM]

Are you saying that it is acceptable to speed on a deserted road at 2:00 am? If you qualify my proposed punishment for speeding, what qualifications would you put on your proposed punishment for DUI?

Serious speeding=90 MPH (40% higher than max in MI)
What BAC level would you consider serious? .08 is the legal level in most states now, but all studies show that no measurabel risk exists until the BAC is approximately .15.

What other areas of our lives would you like to be able to imprison people for the potential damage they might cause others?

I'm not discounting any one's death here, what I am stating is that the real problem is the lack of responsibility and accountability for causing a car crash. If we forced ALL drivers to be 100% responsible for the damage they cause, then ALL dangerous driving would be greatly reduced. Right now people don't see the passengers in the other cars, they only see the car. They don't see their speeding, or cutting off, etc. as a risk to fellow humans, they see it as a risk of denting their quarterpanel!

Have a good holiday and drive safely!

[Rhiannon]

WHAT LIBERTY WE HAVE, DRIVING AT 90 MPH IS THAT SERIOUS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE? BE REAL. PEOPLE DRIVE ON THE I 495 AROUND DC AT 80 MPH ALL THE TIME AND THAT IS A HIGH TRAFFIC ZONE. THAT IS THE NORMAL SPEED. SPEED DOES NOT CAUSE ACCIDENTS. CUTTING PEOPLE OFF AND WEAVING MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTS. I HARDLY CONSIDERED 90 MPH THAT DANGEROUS.

ALSO LOWER THE DRINKING AGE TO 18. IF OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS CAN DIE AND HAVE CHILDREN THEN THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRINK.

ALSO I WORKS AS AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER VIEWING DAMAGED CARS AND SO SEE THE DAMAGES FROM ACCIDENTS. RARE IS THE HIGH SPEED CRASH. MOST ACCIDENTS ARE DONE AT LESS THAN 20 MPH BY IMPACT TIME.

I REALLY AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF PUNISHING A PERSON BEFORE THEY COMMITT THE CRIME. THAT ATTITUDE IS FAR WORSE THAT LIVING UNDER THE OLD U.S.S.R.

IF I CHOSE TO OFFER AT DINNER A GLASS OF WINE TO MY FAMILY, AS A PARENT THAT IS MY PEROGATIVE, THE STATE OVERSTEPS WHEN THEY DECLARE THAT ILLEGAL. ONE GLASS OF WINE IS NOT EXCESSIVE FOR DRIVING.

MOST DRIVERS HAVE ACCIDENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE BAD DRIVERS AND INEXPERIENCED

[nustart23]

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. I posted my earlier note under the heading "Raise the drinking age to 25?" because there was a prior heading of letters under that title.

I want to make it clear that my letter was not to support raising the drinking age limit to 25. ORDI (Ohio Responsible Drinking Initiative) calls for, among other things, raising Ohio's drinking age to "23" not "25". The other initiatives of ORDI are a. lowering the legal blood alcohol content limit from 0.08% to 0.07% (only 0.01%),
b. banning all sales, purchases and consumption of alcoholic beverages on Sundays, c. mandatory 72 hour license suspensions for any licensed driver who is over the legal BAC (but not driving or in physical control of a vehicle), and finally d. give the Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers jurisdiction on private as well as public properties when investigating DUI, underage drinking, or illegal drug activity.

These five initiatives will help in the fight against drunk/impaired drivers. Sure, it wouldn't stop a drunk driver with a 0.025% BAC that kills six innocent people and children, but it is a start. Lower the BAC to 0.07% today and maybe tomorrow it with be lowered more.