Drunk Driving Laws and fines: A problem and answer

[M TYPE X]

Originally Posted by Sociologist

I agree that responsability is key, but they know people are going into bars to drink.....a simple solution is in Florida. If your caught with a high level of alch, your car is auctioned off, no exceptions, and they get the money.

Read the California and Florida forums: the laws are enforced not to make the roads safe, but to pull in the revenue. People whose (idiot) kids take the cars out for the night find out that, in the morning, they have no means of getting to work in the morning.

[Treze20]

Isn't it public info.? A few years back, I was informed that the President of MADD got a DUI~ but it was kept quiet so that MADD didn't get a "black eye" &/or destroy their credibility. I'll double check this info tomorrow.
What is the 'new' law regarding the third offense?!?

Originally Posted by MysteryDriver

Madd Mothers and The Media have People so scared and Brainwashed That no
one here or anywhere else will touch this issue with a 10 foot pole.


Madd Mothers=Hysterical, hate-filled, misguided, Most NAZI like, Totalitarian Group in the World...

[deslok]

It is one of the worst laws ever as far as I can remember. It came about to fund the Superbowl they had in Detroit a few years back, and they just kept it because it made so much money. It was made to curb driving related offenses, but it has not worked. The problem is, our government really needs the income coming in from the offenses, although last time I looked about 60 % of the fees have not been collected due to default.

[sweetclimber]

Originally Posted by Kingsnkali

Mystery Driver,

I agree with you.

KSimmons,

I believe you should be banned from this site for an obvious and clear personal attack on the above poster. I think your post was WAY out of line. I was deeply offended to see this name-calling and attack. Read the rules and allow people to state their opinions. The rest of us enjoy freedom of speech and while we may disagree, we don't resort to personal attacks on each other.

Maybe it wasn't right for ksimmons to use a vulgar name toward that "person" , but you have to admit it was extremely ignorant and offensive thing to say!

[and the]

There are over 40,000 people killed in traffic crashes every year in this country. Lots of them are as a result of drunk driving. Michigan law recently changed to lower the unlawful blood alcohol content from .10 to .08. HOWEVER, the law ALSO changed in that there really is no longer an offense of "Driving While Impaired". This used to be the charge if you were between .08 and .10. Now, there's one charge, "OWI". And if the police can show that your driving was affected by drugs or alcohol, that's the charge. So if you weigh 90 pounds and have two drinks in an hour, you may very well be visibly impaired while you're driving. Even if you weigh 250 and your bac is only .05, if the police can show that your driving was affected by alcohol (weaving across the yellow line, etc...) THE CHARGE IS STILL OWI!! Also, third offense OWI is now a FELONY. There used to be a time limitation, for instance, 3 OWI's in 10 years was a felony. Now, it's 3 OWI's in a LIFETIME. There is no more time limit. Think about how a felony conviction would affect your chances at many jobs, a military career, ability to get a CCW permit, etc. Also, a second offense OWI will cost you around $900.00 to get your car back if forfeiture procedings are followed. Over $1800.00 for a third offense. Doesn't matter WHOSE car it is either. So the lesson is, don't whine to the police when they take your car because you let someone use it and they drive drunk.

Did you know that well over half of the people you see driving without headlights at night are drunk? Think about that next time you see one of them coming at you on a two lane road with nothing between you but a double yellow line.

I think MADD IS comprised, to a certain extent, of a lot of zealots. However, that doesn't mean that their message is wrong. And yes, MADD members DO get popped for drunk driving from time to time. So what? Does that mean the message is wrong?

If you're afraid of cops sitting on the bar when you're leaving, CALL A CAB! If you feel you can drive without weaving, speeding, forgetting to turn your lights on, forgetting to put your seatbelt on, or forgetting to signal, go for itl. Take a chance. But don't whine that the police weren't being sporting enough when you get caught because they were "hunting over bait".

You're right, the law SHOULD be different. An OWI conviction should also include MANDATORY jail time.

And here are my thoughts on money generated through drunk driving arrests and traffic tickets. There is no doubt that the state, and just as importantly, municipal governments, need the money. Would you rather have them raise your property taxes and lower the fines for drunk driving, speeding, etc...?? Personally, I'd rather have people who feel the need to drive drunk, speed, or run red lights fund local government through the "drunk driving", "red light running" or "go fast" tax!! If you feel the need to drink and drive, spend a few hundred bucks and buy a preliminary breath tester like the cops use. That way at least you'll have some idea of what your bac is when you leave the bar that the cops are sitting on. And not the CHEAP kind that give you a red or green light. I mean something like this:
AlcoPro: Alco-Sensor IV

You might be surprised after you start watching your bac. Lots of stupid people assume that when they stop drinking, their bac starts going down. Nope. Typically, and especially when you drink at a good pace, your bac will be going UP after you stop drinking as your latest drinks are added to the equation. And depending on how much and how you drank, it could be going up for well over an HOUR after you stop drinking. So call a damn cab or stay at a motel until you KNOW you're sober. Not just until you THINK you can drive.