The following article was posted on www.jsonline.com
Stop the carnage on Wisconsin roads
Posted: Sept. 9, 2008
On April 25, our daughter, Jennifer Bukosky; her unborn child, Sophie; and our 10-year-old granddaughter, Courtney Bella, were killed in a horrendous and entirely preventable car crash. Our 12-year-old grandson, Zach Bella, and Courtney's friend, Debbie Gibbs, also were injured.
Mark Benson drove the SUV that rear-ended Jennifer's car. Benson, a former physician, lost his medical license due to alcohol and drug abuse. Benson lost his driver's license after three convictions of driving while intoxicated. He was driving on a revoked license when his car rammed full speed into our daughter's car, which was stopped at a traffic light. Jennifer was picking up the children from school at 3:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon.
Benson is in the Waukesha County Jail awaiting trial. This horrible tragedy was not an accident. It was a foreseeable and entirely preventable deed.
Wisconsin's drunken driving laws are the worst in the country. This state does not criminalize the first offense. We are one of 11 states that does not allow for sobriety checkpoints. Ignition interlock devices are not mandated as a condition of sentencing.
Because driving drunk is tacitly condoned as part of the "culture" and because there are no punitive disincentives to change behavior, repeat offenders continue to drive drunk. Drunken driving fatalities on Wisconsin roads have reached epidemic proportions.
What will it take to stop the carnage? How many more families have to suffer the unthinkable losses that our family has suffered? The death of our daughter and granddaughters was not a question of if - but rather a question of when and where. And there are so many families out there that hurt as we do. Impaired driving is responsible for too many deaths and injuries. When is enough enough?
The culture in Wisconsin must change. Why is this irresponsible behavior tolerated and even condoned by many? Why should impaired drivers be allowed to jeopardize the lives of innocent and law-abiding citizens? In effect, current laws protect the offenders, who arrogantly flaunt and disregard the law. Stiffer penalties, changes in culture, enhanced educational efforts, personal responsibility and accountability - these all are pieces of the puzzle.
When are the citizens of this state going to make their voices heard? Voters, you do have a voice. Call your legislators and voice your outrage. Demand change. If you are unwilling to demand change, then you can expect more of the same - more crashes, more injuries, more deaths, more shameful statistics. We all are potential victims.
Join with us to protect all of our families from these senseless and preventable tragedies. Help us make our roads safer. Wisconsin laws are broken. Unless impaired drivers take responsibility for their poor decisions and until the laws are strengthened, our roads remain dangerous.
Road safety is a public health concern. Voice your support for change. Call, write or e-mail your elected officials now. The Web site for Wisconsin legislators is http://www.legis.state.wi.us/. Go to the site and click on the representative and senator for your district.
Raise your voices!
Judy and Paul Jenkins live in Mequon.
