This is why you don't drink and drive. - Page 3

shartley · 11-26-2006, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaan

People should also be reminded that there are other victims of drunk drivers as well. I have a friend who was driving with her husband when they were hit head on by a drunk driver. She was the only one who survived the accident, 3 people died. However, now 3 kids don't have a Dad and she's pretty messed up too. She's not taking care of the kids anymore, her sister and brother in law had to take custody of the 2 youngest. (some of you have met one of the kids, he played paintball with me)

This is a very good point and one I was going to bring up. Most of the time pictures of smashed vehicles are shown, but I think they should be accompanied by a billboard showing those affected by the drunk driver. Show the dead, those who mourn the dead, show the crippled and how many it affects and how, etc. Smashed vehicles are the least of the price paid for drunk driving, smashed lives is the lasting price.

Morgenstern · 11-26-2006, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shartley

This is a very good point and one I was going to bring up. Most of the time pictures of smashed vehicles are shown, but I think they should be accompanied by a billboard showing those affected by the drunk driver. Show the dead, those who mourn the dead, show the crippled and how many it affects and how, etc. Smashed vehicles are the least of the price paid for drunk driving, smashed lives is the lasting price.

If a car that's FUBAR can't convince someone to be responsible, no amount of shocking images can. Some people just don't care or think it will happen to them. It's like the god-awful anti-smoking ads with canerous lungs on TV. I don't smoke and don't want to see it, though it will have little effect on those who want to smoke.

Layman · 11-27-2006, 08:43 PM

Morgenstern raises a good point. I think that people usually don't respond to anything when it would implicate them as being, "in the wrong". A spirit of rebellion is rampant within most all of us. It seems to be the nature of the beast.

Al Ray · 11-27-2006, 10:20 PM

DOnt alow ANY parking at Bars (exception for employees) and revoke a licence for a minimume of 0ne year for a borderline DUI, along with one week reviewing photos of those killed buy duis, reading stories of those effected by duis and attending the autopsy and funeral of one person killed by a DUI.(have tests on the stories as well), and 10 years wo a license for anything more or any offense beyond the first. Realy upsetting IMHO to say the very least

LUKE · 11-28-2006, 12:19 PM

In Mass, under the new law, when a person arrested for OUI refuses the breath test, or blows over the legal limit, the license suspension is immediate. Previously, there was a 15-day "temporary license" that printed out from the BT machine, and was given to the person once they were bailed. The person would usually have their hearing within that time frame.

Our department puts an actual OUI wreck on the front lawn of the highschool before prom season.

I've got some lovely photos of a few OUI wrecks I've had to deal with, including one wreck which I found on a deserted road at 3 AM, and as the only responder on the scene for the first 10 minutes, I had to pry the door open and extract an injured girl. I'm saving the photos to show my kids one day.

Christian Nelson · 11-28-2006, 12:22 PM

All of these harsh penalties are great, but if I am nt mistaken, every really harsh penalty given to drunken driving was usually countermanded by jury nullification.

Unfortunately, in our society, too many people think of it as an accident, and that it's ok to throw a few back, and too many of them have driven while drunk, and don't want to see the guy get really nailed when he gets caught.

When they've killed someone, it's too late to nail them to the wall, the damage is done. It's when they pull them over for a routine traffic stop and they blow the breathalizer, and are found to be drunk that needs more stiff penalties (lowering the legal limit isn't going to have an affect if the penalty remains the same) but those need to be enforced by the courts.

If the jury isn't willing to give the guy some real punishment for this traffic violation, thenwe will always be waiting til someone dies before the issue gets addressed.

Just remember this if you ever get called for jury duty, and there's a guy that got nailed for DWI, and the Lawyer is trying to tell you that it was the first time, and no one was hurt and that we should give the guy a break.

LUKE · 11-28-2006, 12:34 PM

As part of the new Mass OUI laws, there are now new license restrictions related to repeat offenders. They can now require an "ignition interlock device", which is basicly a BT machine tied into your ignition. To start the car, you must blow. Booze breath? Car no worky for the next 2 hours. You must also drive cars equipped with such. And, you must pay for it yourself. If you have that restriction noted on your license, and are found to be operating a vehicle without such device, you are technically operating "outside of license class", and therefore, unlicensed. The result being minimally a summons to court and your car towed, or, arrest. It's a step in the right direction....the true "career drunks" will try to find ways around it. But, that's always the case with any law. At least it helps remove a few more OUI drivers from the road.

wespe · 11-28-2006, 10:14 PM

I think that they are working on installing a system similar to that in Ontario right now. Good idea in my opinion.

11-28-2006, 12:19 PM	#25 (permalink)
LUKE Hired Goon Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Lunenburg, MA	In Mass, under the new law, when a person arrested for OUI refuses the breath test, or blows over the legal limit, the license suspension is immediate. Previously, there was a 15-day "temporary license" that printed out from the BT machine, and was given to the person once they were bailed. The person would usually have their hearing within that time frame. Our department puts an actual OUI wreck on the front lawn of the highschool before prom season. I've got some lovely photos of a few OUI wrecks I've had to deal with, including one wreck which I found on a deserted road at 3 AM, and as the only responder on the scene for the first 10 minutes, I had to pry the door open and extract an injured girl. I'm saving the photos to show my kids one day. __________________ "We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." - Winston Churchill My MCB feedback Sometimes there's justice...and sometimes there's just us BADGE 632

11-28-2006, 12:34 PM	#27 (permalink)
LUKE Hired Goon Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Lunenburg, MA	As part of the new Mass OUI laws, there are now new license restrictions related to repeat offenders. They can now require an "ignition interlock device", which is basicly a BT machine tied into your ignition. To start the car, you must blow. Booze breath? Car no worky for the next 2 hours. You must also drive cars equipped with such. And, you must pay for it yourself. If you have that restriction noted on your license, and are found to be operating a vehicle without such device, you are technically operating "outside of license class", and therefore, unlicensed. The result being minimally a summons to court and your car towed, or, arrest. It's a step in the right direction....the true "career drunks" will try to find ways around it. But, that's always the case with any law. At least it helps remove a few more OUI drivers from the road. __________________ "We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." - Winston Churchill My MCB feedback Sometimes there's justice...and sometimes there's just us BADGE 632

11-27-2006, 08:43 PM	#23 (permalink)
Layman Active Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Durham, NC	Morgenstern raises a good point. I think that people usually don't respond to anything when it would implicate them as being, "in the wrong". A spirit of rebellion is rampant within most all of us. It seems to be the nature of the beast.

11-27-2006, 10:20 PM	#24 (permalink)
Al Ray GWC Lifetime Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Grand Junction, Colorado	DOnt alow ANY parking at Bars (exception for employees) and revoke a licence for a minimume of 0ne year for a borderline DUI, along with one week reviewing photos of those killed buy duis, reading stories of those effected by duis and attending the autopsy and funeral of one person killed by a DUI.(have tests on the stories as well), and 10 years wo a license for anything more or any offense beyond the first. Realy upsetting IMHO to say the very least

11-28-2006, 12:22 PM	#26 (permalink)
Christian Nelson MCB Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Wisconsin	All of these harsh penalties are great, but if I am nt mistaken, every really harsh penalty given to drunken driving was usually countermanded by jury nullification. Unfortunately, in our society, too many people think of it as an accident, and that it's ok to throw a few back, and too many of them have driven while drunk, and don't want to see the guy get really nailed when he gets caught. When they've killed someone, it's too late to nail them to the wall, the damage is done. It's when they pull them over for a routine traffic stop and they blow the breathalizer, and are found to be drunk that needs more stiff penalties (lowering the legal limit isn't going to have an affect if the penalty remains the same) but those need to be enforced by the courts. If the jury isn't willing to give the guy some real punishment for this traffic violation, thenwe will always be waiting til someone dies before the issue gets addressed. Just remember this if you ever get called for jury duty, and there's a guy that got nailed for DWI, and the Lawyer is trying to tell you that it was the first time, and no one was hurt and that we should give the guy a break.

11-28-2006, 10:14 PM	#28 (permalink)
wespe Rec Poster Join Date: Oct 2006	I think that they are working on installing a system similar to that in Ontario right now. Good idea in my opinion.