News

December 22, 2004
Buckle up, lose the booze

Staunton News Leader

Hopefully, this year will be the year the General Assembly finally addresses one of the state's more schizophrenic issues: Its lack of a primary seat belt law and its easygoing attitude about open containers of alcohol carried in vehicles.

We can't pretend to understand why there's such a disconnect between the rest of our laws — some of the harshest in the nation when it comes to drunk driving — and these two issues. You'd think if a state was going to declare war on drunk driving, one of the first shots fired would be against having liquor in the vehicle. And, with all the statistics about how seat belts save lives, especially those of young children, it would make sense to institute primary seat belt laws that make buckling up mandatory. As it stands, the "Click It Or Ticket" campaigns run by some law enforcement agencies in the state seem like a joke. Unless a driver can be proven to have committed some other infraction, driving unbelted is perfectly legal. However, if a driver wants to takea belt, they can — as long as Smokey's not looking and the driver doesn't get so drunk they draw attention to themselves by swerving all over the road or crashing into something — or someone.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are rubbing their hands in anticipation of hiking fines for drunk driving astronomically to raise money to pay for highway projects. It just doesn't make good sense.

Some of the arguments about why we can't ban open alcohol containers are just goofy. One posits that it would unfairly target tailgaters at sports events who have unfinished hootch from the game they are driving away from — hopefully sober, by then. Another uses the "poor priest" theory, and predicts that clergy from religions where sacramental wine is used will be persecuted as they travel.

Haven't any of these geniuses heard of trunks or coolers? Give us a break; if someone has an open can of beer or a bottle of liquor in the front seat, they probably aren't just enjoying the bouquet.

Highway wrecks cost Virginia $5.2 billion annually, according to the National Highway Safety Administration. While we can't eliminate such carnage or cost completely, instituting primary seat belt laws and an enforceable ban on open alcohol containers would reduce them.