Family's three lives worth more than six months each

I don't doubt that Luke Peterson has many fine qualities and truly regrets the actions of last July; that he would, if he could, go back and make things right.

I don't doubt that each day he wakes up and remembers the horrific, tragic consequences of his decision to drink and drive; that he would change places with Bart Bartron, 24, his fiancee Tabitha Saunders, 21, and their two-year-old daughter Kjestine Saunders, who were killed July 29, 2005, when he slammed his car into head-on in a Dodge Neon driven by Saunders.

I don't doubt that, in many ways, he and his family are also victims.

And yet …

I am appalled that the front end of the sentence is so low … 18 months seems so inadequate when compared to the cost of three young lives. There will never be a wedding, graduations, a future …

Six months. If Peterson serves his time and is freed at the end of 18 months, that's how many months, per life, he will have served.

It seems sadly inadequate.

Six months should be a sabbatical from work or college to backpack through Europe, or to take a class at North Idaho College, It should be the time it takes to write the next great American novel, to learn a new language or serve one fourth of a two-year stint in the Peace Corps.

It's been almost a year since Lyssa Saunders lost her parents and her big sister. Two months old at the time of the accident, Lyssa was severely injured and still must be fed through a stomach tube.

Twelve months or, if you translate it into terms of Peterson's possible sentence if he wins early release, the equivalent of what the system says her parents' lives are worth.

In 2004, the most recent year for which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has statistics, there were 260 traffic fatalities in Idaho — 93 of which were alcohol-related. Nationwide in 2004, 30 percent of all fatal crashes during the week are alcohol related compared to 51 percent on the weekend.

Still think it won't happen to you?

A 2001 NHTSA study found that 30 percent of all Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some point in their life. Right now, make a list of 10 friends and family members — whose life are you willing to risk?

We all know that, if we drink and drive, we could end up in the same position as Luke Peterson. We just prefer to pretend it can't happen to us — that somehow we're more in control than "that other guy," that alcohol doesn't effect us or any one of a thousand excuses.

Because that's what they are — excuses.

Caroline Lobsinger is the managing editor of the Daily Bee.