Isle drops a grade Hawaii has slipped in the fight against drunken driving and underage drinking, a nationwide survey says.
in MADD ratings
The ranking covers drunken driving
over a 3-year periodBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comThe state dropped to a C grade in 2002 from B- in 1999, principally because of an increase in alcohol-related fatalities from 1999-2001, according to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving "Rating the States" survey released yesterday.
The report card covers drunken driving and underage drinking over a three-year period.
"This is a disappointing grade for Hawaii's efforts to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking," said Yvonne Nelson, MADD-Hawaii president.
Nelson noted that alcohol-related traffic deaths in Hawaii reached an all-time low of 43 in 1999, and the trend has headed the other way the last three years.
There were 60 alcohol-related fatalities in Hawaii in 2000, and 60 in 2001. Nationally, 17,448 people were killed last year as the number of alcohol-related traffic deaths increased.
Overall, the United States earned a MADD grade of C this year compared with C+ in 1999.
MADD National President Wendy J. Hamilton said in a statement the 5 percent increase in deaths in the last three years is disappointing and that people are becoming more complacent about driving drunk.
"We must change the dangerous public perception that the fight against drunk driving has been won," she said.
Gov. Ben Cayetano said yesterday that what is needed is a change in the culture that promotes consumption of alcohol.
"When I look at this problem of drinking and the consequences, it would be nicer if we could wipe this thing out just by passing a law that eliminated the use of alcohol altogether," Cayetano said. "But that's not going to happen because there's some strong economic interest tied to this."
One way, Cayetano suggested, is for people to persuade the companies that sell alcohol to change their advertising, which he said now influences young people to drink to be accepted in society.
MADD officials recommended the state explore and propose solutions to help police officers get more drunken drivers off the road and place more penalties on higher-risk drivers.
Paulette Winn, past president of MADD-Hawaii, said the organization wants to reach a goal of no more than 45 alcohol-related fatalities by 2005 in Hawaii. "It is sad to have to accept 60, or 45 deaths or even one," she said.
State of Hawaii
