Dear editor, I am writing to commend you on your Nov. 1 articles about the problem of drinking and driving. The tragic stories of the two mothers who lost children as a result of drinking and driving emphasize that drinking and driving is not a victimless crime.

Have you been impacted by a drunk driver? Most of us in our small town know someone who has. The saddest thing is that it is so preventable.

Solutions to address drinking and driving include personal choices and community-based changes. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other experts are in agreement that creating policies that reduce binge drinking, educate and enforce business practices to prevent drinking drivers and provide treatment for offenders are effective ways a community can reduce DUI.

I encourage our community to step it up and become part of the solution. What are you doing to prevent drinking and driving? You could join the Napa County DUI Task Force and get involved in community-wide changes, or you could simply decide tonight to designate a driver, stop after one drink or call a cab for a friend. Big or small, we can all play a part in reducing the high rate of drunk driving accidents in our community.

Jennifer Stewart / Catalyst Coalition of Napa County DUI Task Force Member, Napa