We learned today there had been the 37th Milwaukee-area wrong-way driving incident (most were alcohol-related) just this year - - a crash that injured several innocent motorists and caused by a suspected drunk driver - - and we also learned that a Milwaukee County Deputy Sheriff was injured when his squad car was rear-ended by another suspected drunken driver in a separate crash.
The State of Wisconsin regularly shows up at or near the top of rankings of drunken driving, fatal crash - - like the OWI allegation in the Christmas Eve Kewaskum fatal crash - - and binge drinking by residents (see relevant links in a separate blog post, here.)
And we're the only state in the nation that gives apprehended
first-offense drunk driving motorists only a traffic ticket instead of a
misdemeanor arrest. In other words, it's not a crime to drive drunk in
Wisconsin until you are caught twice.
We tolerate an intolerable amount of dangerous behavior on our local roads and higher-speed Interstate or freeway segments.
"We're in denial here" isn't a state credo to brag about, and
repeated images of wrong-way wreckage will wear down efforts to market
the region as a good place to live, work and play.
Indeed- the feeling is - if you've just had a few beers it's ok to drive. Uh no it's not.
ReplyDeleteWatch all the Packer fans pour out of bars happy and drunk and get in their cars. I just had a few .....I'm such a man....
Just one more reason why we should stop expanding the freeway system. Light rail will save lives.
ReplyDelete@9:26- that's quite a stretch. Perhaps tire spikes at each wrong way entrance would be the answer. Cars going the wrong way would be immediately disabled. You know - like the ones they have a car rental agencies.
ReplyDeleteIn places with decent public transportation, drunk driving is much less of a problem.
ReplyDelete@anon: well since our anti public transportation leaders refuse to consider light rail or even fund adequate bus transportation our options are few. We do have Alberta Darling offering stricter laws. In the meantime spike the wrong way entrances. You're right places like NY city have fewer drunk driver problems.
ReplyDeleteYeah the drinking is aconcern here, but there must be serious problems with our freeway system for this to keep happening. Drunks get on the freeway and don't notice they are traveling in the opposite direction. Do sober drivers enter and leave right away or turn away before enteriing the off ramp? Are there numbers on this? People get drunk all over the country not just here, are there sdcores of drunks driving the wrong way on the freeway in Maryland? Or Nevada?
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