The UW-Madison Population Health Institute published a report putting the state of Wisconsin among the top in the nation in alcohol consumption, but a related issue never surfaced - the relationship between alcohol consumption and drunk driving.
Last week, Madison police charged Ricky Guillen with his sixth citation for Operating a Motor Vehicle while under the Influence.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, alcohol is involved in more than a third of all fatal traffic crashes in the state, with alcohol accounting for over 300 traffic-related deaths. After a proven offender, Ricky Guillen, was allowed back on the street, there are questions as to how the state handles the punishment of those cited with OMVIs.
There is little difference between driving drunk and firing a gun into a crowd: Motor vehicles have the potential to cause as much if not more damage than firearms especially when the person operating the vehicle is impaired.
There is a reason an OMVI is grounds for imprisonment, since the current system allows people like Guillen to get back into a motor vehicle. Suspending a driver's license does not permanently prevent someone from drinking and driving.
Laws need to be changed to ensure that dangerous drivers are taken off the street and to ensure the safety of Wisconsin residents.
