The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-02-23
Drunk Drivers and the Automo'
bile Accident Problem

Drunk Drivers and the Automo-
bile Accident Problem
Editor Times-NewS:
| have noted with interest for
several years past the amount OF
space given in news and editorial
columns to the drunken automo-
bile driver. l presume that every
one with the mental capacity sut-
ficient to enable him to under
stand what a highway is for
knows that drunk man has no
business on highway, either as
a driver of an automobile OF any
other vehicle, or even as a pc
destrian. He ought to be punish
ed if he is found on the highway
drunk, whether in a car or out OF
one. He is menace to the pub
lie anywhere, at all times and IN
all places. He projects his influ-
ence for evil wherever he hap
pens to be. 1t is impossible in
this world to get rid of him al
together, but the laws of the land
and the attitude of the people
should seek as far as practicable
to eliminate his evil influence. |
have been struck, however, with
the enormity of the casualty list
of automobile accidents and the
amount of space given to the
drunken driver as compared with
the evil as whole. There are
statistics in the various states as
to the part played by drunken
drivers in the casualty lists of the
highways. They range in some
states from about seven per cent
to Is per cent, maybe in others.
There seems always to be some
question as to precise figures by
reason of the nature of the case.
1t is sufficient to say that the
statistics seem TO be pretty well
uniform in that they clearly show
that the great majority of auto
mobile accidents do not occur as
a result of the drunken driver.
The law comes down pretty
heavily, in most, if not all the
states, upon the drunken driver.
There would seem to be little ex-
cuse for a man who drinks strong
drink in excess and then takes
into his direction an engine of
death and parades it up and down
the highways endangering his
own. life and those who come up
on the highways with him. He
has no moral right to endanger
his own life, he has no moral
right to endanger the Ftes of
others. He has no legal light to
do so and should not. We have
always taken into account, how
ever. the condition of one intoxi
Gated when making him RESPONSE
BILE for crime. The courts have
never as far as / know imposed
severe punishment upon person
for drinking strong drink until he
is under the influence to the ex-
tent of being mentally incapicat-
ed, while on the other hand the
courts or rather the laws of the
land have taken into account the
weakness of humanity and to a
large extent excused him for
crimes committed while drunk,
even though his drunkardness is
of his own making. 1t seems
strange then, to me, that still
looking on the drunkard in this
light as We do under our laws to-
day, there should be SO much said
about the drunken driver who is
responsible for such a minor part
of the appalling casualties of the
road and so little said about the
many times larger number of ac-
cidents caused by those who have
not had their mental faculties be-
clouded by strong drink. In North
Carolina last year S52 people
were Killed and l think 81 deaths
were caused by drunken drivers,
about 10 per cent of the whole.
What about the 80 per cent
Why is it that we permit the au-
tomobile industry to spend mil
liens in propaganda, speed prop