Drunk Drivers

[cell]

no worries zootles. im glad for the discussion

 

[redhotswami]

Yeah I have to admit that 4 is a bit much. (even though I do have somewhat high tolerance for alcohol and don't easily get even buzzed let alone drunk) Oh btw, I drove to DC to meet with some friends over the weekend. We were gonna drive in to the downtown area and go hit the clubs. I suggested that we take the metro instead and then a cab to get to the club cos that way we can drink all we want. And so that's what we did. There were 5 of us so we shared the cab fare. It cost almost nothing!

Also, apologies to the original thread starter for somewhat derailing the focus of this topic. That's awful that you almost got hit by a drunk driver!

 

[Night & Day]

This is me when my dad was alive:


This is me after he was killed by a drunk driver when I was 8:

:nothingness:
:alone:
:empty:
:afraid:
:neverthesame:

 

[Mr. BAW]

^ Honestly, I wondered when you were finally gonna respond to this serious issue...and I'm glad you did.

 

[Night & Day]

Tears are in my eyes reading this.
Sometimes I wonder if I say it too much.
My heart and soul thanks you for letting me know it was ok to say it again.

Thank you X 10,000.

 

[Mr. BAW]

When you see a post like this, combined with your loss, you must speak; thanks!

 

[mad1]

they keep showing a lot of the American Cop programmes here, and its astonishing just how many drunk-drivers they show who get stopped, but have managed to drive so far, so bad without killing anyone!

even crazier they stand swaying or walk half-falling and deny drinking.

that is MAD!

 

[absintheminded]

I don't agree with charging all drunk drivers with attempted murder, at all.
In fact, when someone kills someone in a DUI Crash, it is usually charged Manslaughter only if they are lucky, most cases are 3rd Degree Murder, serving about 10-15 years.
The first punishment, in my opinion, is way too lax. 3 days in jail, $1500 fine and that's it? Please. A walk in the park.
The second DUI merits 20 days in jail, $3000 fine, suspension of license for just a year. Again, GAH.
The first punishment should be a mandatory 90 days in a treatment facility (note, I am saying not prison) and a $3000 fine, and suspension of a license for 12 months.
Let's see how many people are going to test the waters after that.
Second DUI offenses should get 6 months mandatory in a treatment facility, a $7000 fine, and suspension of license for 5 years.

We would be seeing less offenses.

But yes, Zoot, different people, men and women, depending on their age and weight, etc, four beers may not affect you like it affects someone else. And to the person that says that two drinks impairs most people, there is scientific evidence that no it does not. Different people handle alcohol differently. Scientific research proves that alcoholics can function better at higher BAC levels than non-alcoholics, making our (alcoholics) judgments a lot more dangerous.

The main point is, all drivers should have a BRAC tester (which should be sold at a reasonable price at Wal-Mart) in their vehicle so they don't need to guess at if two drinks was really too much. Because... in some cases, depending on factors like if the drinker ate and how long he or she has been drinking (one hour versus slow drinking of over a time period of 4 hours) .08% can mean a total different outcome to Zoot's four beers as to my two little Cosmo's over my half hour, I could be over the limit and he could very well still be under the limit.

Somehow I just read what I wrote and it doesn't seem too black and white.
We just need to have zero tolerance and provide better solutions but at the same time, empathy for the offenders as we do the victims. Most people that drink and drive suffer from a disease called alcoholism and they need help.

I tire of the stigma that alcoholics get. It's like we're bad people and we should be thrown in prison for life because we're no good and we've made bad decisions.

I suffer from enough pain already, I don't need to walk in a crowd where they just want to hang me all the time.

 

[redhotswami]

Somehow I just read what I wrote and it doesn't seem too black and white.
We just need to have zero tolerance and provide better solutions but at the same time, empathy for the offenders as we do the victims. Most people that drink and drive suffer from a disease called alcoholism and they need help.

I tire of the stigma that alcoholics get. It's like we're bad people and we should be thrown in prison for life because we're no good and we've made bad decisions.

I suffer from enough pain already, I don't need to walk in a crowd where they just want to hang me all the time.

I don't think anyone here said things about alcoholics in particular. I also think I disagree with you in saying that most people who drink and drive are alcoholics. For example, consider the population of a university campus. There are LOADS of incidents of drunk driving, but are most of those offenders alcoholics? I'd say no.

People aren't being stigmatized in this thread for being alcoholics. What you do to yourself is your business. What upsets people is when drunk drivers put other lives in danger. The world is fucked up and bad shit is gonna happen all the time, but it really sucks when you or someone you love is killed because someone who is drunk (or high, etc.) feels like driving. A stupid decision which can easily be avoided.

 

[absintheminded]

Well, I'm sorry, I was in a rush to make a post...I really don't mean that MOST first time drunk drivers are alcoholics but A LOT of them are, and MOST repeat offenders are.
I worked in a rehab facility and a lot of our clients were referred stemming from a DUI, and let me tell you, I saw a large percentage of them being alcoholic. Some yes just made an awful decision, paid their dues and went about their way and didn't have a problem, but a lot of them are problem drinkers.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Two kids I went to school with rolled their car on a main country road after they were completely off their faces, and now one of them's still in hospital a month or two after that happened. The car was so smashed up, it's amazing the two of them survived. To be honest, I hated them both back at school with the power of a thousand suns, but I wouldn't wish a car crash on anyone.

Drunk driving is a huge risk in country towns, and not enough is being done to stop it. Stuff like this happens every year. The brother of my sister's best mate was in a bad crash five years ago. He lived, amazingly, but now there are burn marks all over his body (including his face), and only in the past couple of years has he been able to walk. I hear he has a lady friend now, though - so there you go. He also has this rad beagle, but that's kind of besides the point.

 

[VintagePunk]

Well, I'm sorry, I was in a rush to make a post...I really don't mean that MOST first time drunk drivers are alcoholics but A LOT of them are, and MOST repeat offenders are.
I worked in a rehab facility and a lot of our clients were referred stemming from a DUI, and let me tell you, I saw a large percentage of them being alcoholic. Some yes just made an awful decision, paid their dues and went about their way and didn't have a problem, but a lot of them are problem drinkers.

I seriously fail to see the point, here. Alcoholism means that people should be more tolerant of their drunk driving? Sorry, no. I've never read 'driving drunk' as one of the symptoms of alcoholism in the DSM. Even if they're addicted to alcohol, they can choose not to drive while partaking.

 

[absintheminded]

I seriously fail to see the point, here. Alcoholism means that people should be more tolerant of their drunk driving? Sorry, no. I've never read 'driving drunk' as one of the symptoms of alcoholism in the DSM. Even if they're addicted to alcohol, they can choose not to drive while partaking.

YES, you did SERIOUSLY miss the point.
No I didn't say alcoholism means that people should be more tolerant of drunk driving. Where did I say that?

There are really no "symptoms" of alcoholism. There are signs, and legal problems like arrests for DUI's (and public drunkeness) ARE IN FACT A SIGN OF ALCOHOLISM.
And while under the influence, drunks have no control of decision making, bad or good.
So you're telling me that someone who drank a number of beers who thinks they are "fine" to drive are in the right state of mind to make a responsible decision?
I think not.

I'm coming up with solutions here rather than pointing fingers and complaining.
SORRRRRRY, am I speaking a different language to you?

Let me ask you a question I'm going to assume you don't know...do you know the REAL definition of INSANITY?

 

[indra]

And while under the influence, drunks have no control of decision making, bad or good.
So you're telling me that someone who drank a number of beers who thinks they are "fine" to drive are in the right state of mind to make a responsible decision?
I think not.

Of course they aren't. But the decision to drive drunk happens before a person starts drinking and therefore that person should be completely capable of making a responsible decision. The time to plan how you will get home needs to be made before you go out, before you start drinking. And THAT is both a simple and very effective solution to the problem. The only difficulty in it is getting people to accept that they are responsible for their own damned decisions.

 

[VintagePunk]

I had this whole long response typed out, but I decided I'm not going to go there. I think indra summed it up best:

Of course they aren't. But the decision to drive drunk happens before a person starts drinking and therefore that person should be completely capable of making a responsible decision. The time to plan how you will get home needs to be made before you go out, before you start drinking. And THAT is both a simple and very effective solution to the problem. The only difficulty in it is getting people to accept that they are responsible for their own damned decisions.

The point is, somewhere along the line during the process of drinking, EVERYONE is capable of making the decision not to drive, or for taking steps to ensure that they don't drive, if they allow themselves to get incoherent enough that they can't make a rational decision later. Alcoholic or not, there's no excuse not to. And no, someone who gets behind the wheel and drives regardless, putting others at risk, does not deserve my empathy, alcoholic or non-alcoholic.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Cars are crashin every night.
I drink and drive, everything's in sight.