The need to curtail drunken driving is clear. What to do about it is not always clear, but there are interesting ideas out there.

In 2002 while we were living in Japan, a new law was passed. It imposed very severe fines and even jail time for exceeding the allowed limit or being involved in an accident. But what was really innovative, and made a huge difference, was that everyone in the vehicle was subject to the penalties, especially if the car was involved in an accident.

Alcohol-fueled fatalities dropped by over half instantly, and by up to 80% over the next few years. My memory is that fines for the driver and passengers were in the range of $700 along with possible jail time. In 2007 came an even stricter law, with fines in the $2,000 range and jail time — for the driver and the passengers. Restaurants and bars who served the driver were also held responsible and heavily fined.

Making everyone in the vehicle responsible means those who might have been hesitant before to say “this is a bad idea” now have a huge incentive to not be part of the situation. I think this is worth thinking about for Hawaii.

Ann Marten

Kailua