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RogerRabbit
Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined: 05 Sep 2004
Posts: 748
Location: Oregon
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 Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 3:04 am Post subject: Will Montana sober up? |
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http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050416/OPINION02/50416019/-1/OPINION
| Quote: | ON THE map of the United States kept by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Montana is a red state, not for its conservative political leaning but as one of the 50 states that ranks highest in alcohol-related traffic deaths.
Montana, in fact, led the nation in this dubious distinction in 2003, the most recent year for available statistics, with 1.18 alcohol-related fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
So it is at least noteworthy that Montana has finally joined most of the rest of the United States in adopting an open container law that outlaws drinking while driving, effective Oct. 1. Sort of.
The penalty for violation of the new statute is only a $100 fine, and a citation won’t show up on a motorist’s driving record.
The anemic penalty was the price, we’re told, of getting any law at all enacted in the Treasure State. With Montana in the fold, only Mississippi now lacks a statewide open-container statute, although many localities have such laws.
By way of explanation, Jim Burfeind, a University of Montana sociologist, says that, hey, there are a lot of long, dusty, and apparently thirst-producing trails in a place like Montana, which is as large as New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio combined but has only 927,000 residents — about as many people as live in Toledo and Columbus.
“We think we’re a very different place than other places and that we don’t have to run by the rules that other people have to in more congested areas,” Mr. Burfeind told the Associated Press.
But that’s faulty logic. If the highways really were so deserted that motorists didn’t have to worry about encountering drunken drivers, Montana wouldn’t have the nation’s highest alcohol-fatality rate.
In contrast to Montana’s 1.18 rate, Ohio ranks ninth with 0.43 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Michigan ranks 14th at 0.48.
Statistics may be dry, but it’s pretty obvious that Montanans like to wet their whistles while they zip on down the highway. And too often this long-held tradition gets them into deadly trouble.
Perhaps the new law will engender some sober reflection among the Big Sky folks about the dangers of knocking back a cold one (or two, or three) while at the wheel.
In the meantime, if you’re ever driving in Montana, keep your eyes peeled for those rugged individualists who like to cool the brew by holding the can out the window of the pickup truck. And, by golly, give ’em a wide berth out on the interstate. |
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AMOS
Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined: 30 Jul 2004
Posts: 558
Location: IOWA
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| Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 3:37 pm Post subject: Oh well. |
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| I guess I'm not gonna move to Montana after all. |
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GoophyDog
PO1
Joined: 10 Jun 2004
Posts: 480
Location: Washington - The Evergreen State
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| Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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Harumph.
I really get a burr under my saddle when I see stats couched in such specific language. Let's look at what is said: 1.18 deaths per million miles traveled; approx 927,000 population.
What is not said: Societal makeup of the drivers. Average commute times and distances; actual HIWAY versus rural road fatalities. Amount of time it takes for Montana drivers to meet the million miles traveled.
Before folks begin to condem a state based on "statistics", look at the whole picture. Montana is a rural state where commuting to work is a rarity rather than the norm and that means the miles driven statistic is not built upon gobs of vehicles heading to work in the morning or returning in the evening. What is needed is a time of accident statistic comparison and a bias alleviating formula to discount commuting miles such as are racked up in more metro areas.
It is not "faulty logic" to take into consideration the lack of traffic congestion contributing factors. A geographical consideration must also be inputted into the mix to take into account the slower speeds (hence less chance of fatalities) in urban areas versus typical higher speeds in those "long and dusty roads". Simply speculation on my part here but I believe these figures would be considerably skewed the other way if they addressed alcohol related accidents in total rather than restricted to only fatalities.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very much against anyone driving drunk. Personally I feel a first offense should be a felony with permanent loss of license, period. BUT, when I see a singular statistic used for an article such as this one - one written to inflame readers, my hackles are raised.
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RogerRabbit
Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined: 05 Sep 2004
Posts: 748
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | The penalty for violation of the new statute is only a $100 fine, and a citation won’t show up on a motorist’s driving record. |
Certainly not a deterrent for those who like to drive under the influence with a good posibility of killing some innocents
| Quote: | “We think we’re a very different place than other places and that we don’t have to run by the rules that other people have to in more congested areas,” Mr. Burfeind told the Associated Press.
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I hope all Montanans think this way - just the sociologist (whatever that might be) People can get just as dead in rural wrecks as those in congested areas.
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