Open container law will save lives

Editor,

An open letter to Janna Taylor:

Janna, in the April 14 issue of the Leader, you stated that you hate the federal mandates that contributed to the passage of the open container prohibition.

In this case, perhaps the federal government (since all but Montana and one other state passed open container prohibition laws close to 40 years ago) is aware of the statistics that make reducing drunk driving fatalities vital.

In 1999, drunk drivers on our highways killed more than 16,000 innocent Americans. Keep in mind the staggering futility of every one of the preventable deaths of our babies, our children, our spouses, parents, grandparents and friends. Then, in 2000, the figure jumped to around 20,000 innocent Americans killed by drunk drivers, according to NTSB figures. And I don't even have the statistics for those injured, crippled and maimed for life by drunk drivers, which has to be hundreds of thousands more of us.

If a driver is headed for Missoula and opens an alcohol container in Polson, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the driver is probably not going to wait till reaching Missoula before imbibing.

Be aware, Janna, that the decisions we make based on federal mandates may save or improve the lives of many Montanans, and that needs to be the major concern of our legislators.

I pray for the day that all legislators will work to prevent needless deaths of their constituents at the hands of drunk drivers instead of repeating the useless mantras of party politics.

Claire Adrienne

Polson