Via Healthy Policy comes something that Kate aptly describes as “a little Scarlet Letter-esque.” Drunk drivers in Tennessee are being required to help clean up state highways while wearing vests emblazoned with the phrase "I am a Drunk Driver" in 4-inch lettering.
I’m not sure how I feel about this. I hate, hate, drunk driving, and I’m all for any punishment (bearing in mind the usual cruel and unusual caveats) that have a demonstrable effect as a deterrent on drunk driving. So my first thought was, “Would someone who’s had too many, yet is about to crawl behind the wheel of the car, be stopped by this potential embarrassment?” But what good answer is there to that? I can’t imagine what would stop someone who isn’t deterred by the possibility of killing themselves or someone else. So, perhaps its primary usefulness is to get passing drivers to consider their own habits. Maybe seeing other people’s shame will motivate them to start arranging for designated drivers in the future.
What do you think?
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