Let’s Ban Driving on Sundays

Posted by Tom Wark on Oct 10, 2006

I love reading the results of controlled studies, surveys and polls. I believe they mean something…when interpreted in just the right way.

Take for example This New Study, in the American Journal of Public Health and Reported upon by the New York Times. It demonstrates that after making it legal to purchase alcohol on Sundays in New Mexico (yes, it had been illegal to do so…sigh……) fatal traffic accidents related to alcohol use increased on that day.

Here’s my probing question: So…..what now?

There really is on one logical response to this new information: Ban Alcohol Consumption seven days a week. This way there will be fewer alcohol-related traffic fatalities altogether. As we know, it is the duty of the State to do whatever it can to remove all risk associated with being alive.

Sometime in the future, this study will most certainly be used in the course of a political campaign having to do with the consumption or service of alcohol.

Of course there is another equally obvious response to this new study: Ban Driving on Sundays.

I’m guessing that equally logical response won’t be tested in the public market place of ideas. It might be considered extreme.

Of course then there is this statistic noted in the NY Times story on the study:

"the percentage of alcohol-related fatalities as a percentage of all
fatalities (in New Mexico) declined to under 40 percent from 65 percent in 1990. Per
capita alcohol consumption also declined to a little more than 1.72
gallons a year, from 1.82 gallons in 1991."

I just don’t know what to think. Maybe it’s best to to just let the chips fall where they may.