[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 66 (Monday, May 19, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     THE TRAGEDY OF ALCOHOL-RELATED DEATHS ON OUR NATION'S HIGHWAYS

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                               speech of

                          HON. J.C. WATTS, JR.

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 13, 1997

  Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a very 
tragic situation that afflicts one person every 30 seconds--this 
problem is drinking and driving. This week Mothers Against Drunk 
Driving is sponsoring a National Youth Summit on Underage Drinking in 
the hopes of educating our young people about how dangerous and 
destructive driving is under the influence--and let me remind everyone 
this danger is not just to oneself, but to anyone else who may be on 
the road. I commend the organizers and participants in the summit for 
taking steps to educate Americans on the perils of driving under the 
influence.
  Last week, I was watching the news and I saw the parents of a young 
college girl discussing the death of their daughter due to a drunk 
driving accident. This young, bright girl, with all of her hopes and 
dreams just starting to take form, lost these dreams when a drunk 
driver hit her car and in an instant everything was gone.
  Friends, this is a serious problem and we need to do more to educate 
everyone--teens and adults alike--on the consequences of drinking and 
driving. Let me share some startling statistics not commonly discussed. 
In 1994, 40.8 percent of all traffic fatalities were accounted for by 
drunk driving accidents, and that number has risen since then. And do 
not think this could not happen to you because two of every five 
Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related accident in their 
lifetime. I am the father of five healthy beautiful children and I can 
not bear to think that unless we work to stop this, two of my five 
children will be affected by a drinking and driving accident.
  It is crucial that we get the word out and take preventive measures 
to assure these senseless deaths stop. In my home State of Oklahoma, 
the State legislature just passed a law stipulating any underage driver 
caught drinking automatically loses his license until he reaches 21. I 
am glad Oklahoma is taking steps to prevent wreckless behavior, but I 
want to stress, that we need to educate more than our kids because this 
is everyone's responsibility and problem.
  There is a powerful poem written through the eyes of a young girl who 
didn't drink and drive because her mom had said it was dangerous, and 
the pride she took in obeying her mother. But when she got in her car 
to go home she was killed by a drunk driver. The last line reads, ``I 
have one last question, Mom, before I say good bye. I didn't drink and 
drive, so why am I the one to die?''
  This question goes straight to the heart of the matter, and I 
sincerely hope if someone is going to drink they would have enough 
respect for the priceless gift of human life, not to get in a car and 
drive. This is a problem that affects everyone and I hope we would all 
take responsibility and work to end these tragic accidents that turn 
human lives, hopes, and dreams into statistics.
  Congratulations to the youth who are participating in the underage 
drinking summit for making a commitment to be responsible and to 
protect other lives as well. We need your help in raising the awareness 
about the dangers of drunk driving.

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