It’s a number that’s still used today. In 2002, the Los Angeles Times examined accident data and estimated that in the previous year, of the 18,000 “alcohol-related” traffic fatalities drunk driving activists cited the year before, only about 5,000 involved a drunk driver taking the life of a sober driver, pedestrian, or passenger.

But regardless, the U.S. has a serious drinking and driving problem and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it’s worse than Finland’s. The drinking and driving attitude is different in the states, it’s way more socially acceptable there than here.

All of Finland, about 80 deaths and 1000 injured per year.

http://www.liikenneturva.fi/default.aspx?desktop=386&

Very unlikely. He’ll just put the car in his girlfriend or wife’s name. And how much do some of these “summer cars” cost in Finland? 250, 500 euros?

Is that 20% all of Finland or just “Helsinki area” ? - I’d suspect that Helsinki some of the least alcohol-traffic deaths, because there aren’t as many highways like in the countryside.

Finland:

Approximately 300-400 000 Finnish ??? about 7-9 percent of the population ??? meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism.
34 397 drivers were tested in Helsinki area in 2004, 68 were caught on drunk driving (0,20%).
About 20 percent (compared to 41 percent in the US!) of people died in traffic accidents are alcohol???related.

Sources: http://www.government.fi/vn/liston/base.lsp?r=89504&k=fi&old=1829 , Liikenneturva.

So the reputation of Finnish drivers being extraordinary drunk while driving is nothing but a stupid myth and it is now busted, at least when comparing to USA.

“What should be done with chronic drunk drivers?”

I read about police taking possession of chronic drunk driver’s cars (was it in Kuopio?). That might help unless the chronic drunk driver is used car salesman.

Jail time does not cure anybody, in the 60’s the prisoners of Finland were full of drunk drivers etc. just like nowadays in the US and it was concluded with careful studies to back it up that it is not benefiacy to throw them to jail, they come out much worse off and more likely to commit more sinister crimes. Thus, more harm to the society.

There is also distinction between one-time drunk drivers (too fast too furious-type) and chronic drunks. Chronic drunk drivers are not speeding usually, try to obey somehow to traffic laws and not so much of danger as the young one-timers with pedal to the metal. They try to avoid getting caught.

Most in their for drug offenses, if Libertarians took office these people would all be set free (along with all others convicted of victimless crimes) - Jail population would then be similar to the prison popluation in Finland.

So let’s not elude to the fact that I want to just throw people in jail, because I want just the opposite. However, chronic drunk-driving KILLS and should be treated seriously - don’t you agree? It’s funny how I was criticized here (http://www.finlandforthought.net/index.php?p=140) for not wanting people with unpaid parking tickets to be put in jail - yet here I’m critized for want chronic drunk-drivers in the slammer.

tim73, I’ll ask you the same question I asked Tiedemies - what should be done with chronic drunk drivers?

How uniquely American clever thinking and boy, have you been busy throwing asses to jail. Two million and counting, another world record in crappy things in absolute and relative terms. No wonder the WHO world record of mental disorders goes to U.S. of A.

The rate of imprisonment in the US is more than SEVEN times higher (690 per 100,000) than any other western country. Holland imprisons only 51 per 100,000 citizens; Germany, 80; France, 84; the UK, 86; and Italy, 89.4.

Americans either must be really bad rotten people, real REDRUM people or it is simple a MISERABLE FAILURE (old joke but try that in google with I’m feeling lucky) of their society (yet another one).

The cost per prisoner per year is around 30 000 dollars so for two million prisoners it makes total of 60 billion dollars per year. The real crappy thing is that companies are allowed with about 11 cents per hour to use these prisoners basically as slave labor. So taxpayers pay 30 000 dollars and your all-american companies get basically free labour. No need to hire those demanding normal workers. How nice.

Do you have a better idea?

Throw their asses in jail is an idea

That is indeed a very peculiar view of “freedom”. Instead of forcing alcolocks, throw them in jail to protect their liberties?

I just don’t get it sometimes.

Throw their asses in jail is an idea.