[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 20, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S8655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



[[Page S 8655]]

                NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM DESIGNATION ACT

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.


                 Open Containers of Liquor in Vehicles

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I intend to return to the floor this 
afternoon with an amendment. I would like to describe it in no more 
than 1 minute to my friends in the Senate.
  I am going to offer an amendment in the Senate that deals with the 
issue of open containers of liquor or alcohol in vehicles. We now have 
in this country 26 States in which it is perfectly legal to have open 
containers of alcohol as you move down the road. We have six States 
still remaining--I thought there were more--but there are six States 
still remaining in which it is perfectly legal in most parts of the 
State to drink and drive.
  In my judgment, no one in this country ought to put the keys to the 
car in one hand and put them in the ignition and start the engine and 
wrap the other hand around a fifth of whiskey and start driving down 
the street. Alcohol and automobiles do not mix.
  No one in this country ought to drive down the street in a strange 
State and not know that there is not another car coming where the 
people who are in the car, either driving or traveling, are drinking. 
We ought to have a uniform prohibition against open containers of 
alcohol in vehicles. It ought to be a national goal to see that happen.
  Yesterday, there were eight people killed--six children killed in 
California, again from a drunk driver in one accident; six children 
killed, slaughtered on the highways. It is murder. Every 23 minutes in 
this country, it happens. It has happened to, I will bet, everyone in 
this Chamber, that someone they know or someone in their family has 
been killed by a drunk driver. There is no excuse for the States to 
access the billions of dollars of highway money but then to resist the 
need to prohibit open containers of alcohol in vehicles all across this 
country. I intend to offer an amendment on that this afternoon, and I 
do hope Members of the Senate see fit to support it.
  I see the Senator from Louisiana is waiting. Let me at this moment 
yield the floor.


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