Byron Dorgan: “I certainly support these efforts. As I said, we will be finished when we have prescribed all across this country an…”

“I certainly support these efforts. As I said, we will be finished when we have prescribed all across this country an understanding that a person cannot drink and drive in this country. Again, to me it does not make sense that in England, in European countries, for example, people understand that the consequences of drunk driving are so substantial that a person better not get caught because they will get hit with an enormous penalty. There is a completely different attitude about it in the European countries. Here it has been treated kind of like, Well, old Joe, or old Helen just went out and had too much to drink. That was not a problem. It was not, unless they murdered with a vehicle. That is what happens in this country. Every 28 minutes, around the clock, somebody gets another call that says your relative died because of a drunk driver. This is not some mysterious illness for which we do not have a cure. This is not beyond the comprehension of humans to deal with. We deal with it by saying to people, Do not even think about driving if you drink. Don't even think about it. The consequences are too great. The very first step is for governments, every government, to decide that there ought to be a prohibition against open containers of alcohol in vehicles.”