Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles; site ea.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!ea!mwm From: mwm@ea.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Re: drinking age legislation - (nf) Message-ID: <10100054@ea.UUCP> Date: Thu, 5-Jul-84 11:32:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ea.10100054 Posted: Thu Jul 5 11:32:00 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 11-Jul-84 00:24:12 EDT References: <8191@watmath.UUCP> Lines: 30 Nf-ID: #R:watmath:-819100:ea:10100054:000:1205 Nf-From: ea!mwm Jul 5 10:32:00 1984 #R:watmath:-819100:ea:10100054:000:1205 ea!mwm Jul 5 10:32:00 1984 /***** ea:net.politics / watmath!saquigley / 8:44 am Jul 2, 1984 */ What I think would be better is to have a higher driving age rather than a higher drinking age. Obviously, of the two combined actions of driving and drinking, driving is the most dangerous of the two. Sophie Quigley ...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax}!watmath!saquigley /* ---------- */ Better yet, how about a higher *competency* level for driving? For instance, the Germans drive at much higher speeds than Americans (both in and out of town), with far more people on the road. My experience (sorry, no hard numbers) is that they have far fewer accidents than Americans. The only reason I can think see is that their drivers test is much harder to pass, resulting in more competent drivers. We could start by having a federal drivers test that's something more than the joke I see around here. The next step would be to stiffen the penalties to the point where those who can't or won't drive competently aren't allowed to drive, period. If this causes them to loose their job, tough. They should have learned to drive while they had the chance. Driving while drunk shouldn't be a crime; driving as if you were drunk should be.