ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 3, 1993                   TAG: 9308030324
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

VIRGINIA NEEDS BETTER SOLUTIONS

THE SUBJECT of drunk driving has been very much in the news lately.

The case of Stanley Brooks of Roanoke, whose crash resulted in the death of Geoffrey Pelton, is a prime example of the type of driver who is of greatest concern to all other drivers. At age 22 he is a hard core drinking driver; the type who is responsible for 80% of all D.U.I. fatalities.

These drivers are distinguished by their high BAC (blood alcohol content) levels; .15 or greater with multiple arrests and convictions.

Brooks' record reveals that his license has been suspended six times and is currently under revocation for a period of 10 years. His BAC was .26, more than double the Virginia .10 presumptive level of intoxication.

D.M.V. records indicate that there are about 11,778 people like Brooks in the state. That represents about three-tenths of one percent of all drivers.

Now look at the proposals out of Washington being pushed by the administration in orders to share the 20 million dollars grant money used for bait. These measures are supposed to control the problem:

1. Lower the presumptive intoxication level to .08. (Never mind that it has never been shown that drivers at that level have any more accidents than non-drinkers).

2. Administrative license suspension allowing police officers to suspend a license on the spot. (Aside from the highly questionable constitutional questions, would this proposition have deterred Brooks, or any other hard core drinking driver?)

3. Establish a system of sobriety check points. (Why? D.M.V. already knows who the problems are and, in general, where they are.)

4. Improve enforcement of age 21 drinking laws. (Prohibition failed. What are we going to do next?)

5. Divert a portion of traffic fines to prevention programs. (Prevention and education are a must. But what are we going to do to curb the hard core drinking driver?) I happen to believe that Virginia has the brains to produce much better alcoholism treatment programs and effective restraints to supplement incarceration if those brains are put to work instead of chasing Washington's fantasy dollars. HOOVER B. LIDE RICHMOND 


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