Drunk Driving -- is it not as bad as it is cracked up to be?

[DrDillio]

Ok, there have been some arguments here that people seem to all think drunk driving is bad or stupid.

I think the major thing that people seem to be having some issues on is whether the violation fits the crime.

I have heard some stats that are telling me that not as many people die from drunk driving as they do from other traffic violations. People speed and speeding causes deaths too. That has been brought up by several people.

I think it is important to see the wide spectrum of thought here.

Sure, speeding is bad and it can kill people. butn ot because it is speeding, but because the human reaction time has less time to react at higher speeds when it comes to having to avoid a possible accident.

Now, speeding + dui will even more so increase this lack of reaction time.

The thought that you are helping people get out of the consequences of a dui only lends to people thinking it is ok to attempt to do it. The penalties are there and are there for a very good reason. Your reaction time is lowered becasue you are drunk driving and because of this lowered reaction time -- sometimes very great -- the penalties are harsh.

Personal stories are compelling about people who are drunk driving and kill or maime other people. And it is something that THAT person brought onto the other. Their habit of drinking and driving hurt or killed someone else -- so it is more compelling in the eyes of the law to have a harsher penalty.

Now, if someone is speeding it is less likely to induce some of these thoughts. The person was not bringing about inherent recklessness onto others around him/her. Speed limits are variable and yet dui is not.

To give people a way out on a dui charge is to encourage people to drink and drive.

Accidents happen. this is true. but there is no reason to bring a greater chance of these accidents happening to the table or to the road.

Please discuss and let us be civil about it even though it is a sensitive issue. let everyone try to see both sides of the story please

 

[tiger88]

just walk or get a fuckin taxi

 

[DrDillio]

just walk or get a fuckin taxi

Agree. or call a friend who can come pick you up

 

[tiger88]

Agree. or call a friend who can come pick you up

or pass out and chill or somke a bowl and then chill then pass out

 

[Smurfy]

drinking and driving is straight up asking for trouble. there are other options. dont drink. or if you do drink, then dont drive. its not that difficult.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

drunk driving = skull-bone-fragments-with-scalp-attached scavenger hunt.

def not a fun game

 

[tiger88]

drinking and driving is straight up asking for trouble. there are other options. dont drink. or if you do drink, then dont drive. its not that difficult.

true

 

[DrDillio]

But what about the punishment of drunk driving vs speeding?

Do you think someone who is going 25mph over the speed limit should be punished the same as someone who gets pulled over for dui? In this example the person going 25mph over the speed limit is not drinking but the guy who got pulled overfor a dui is.

 

[Smurfy]

But what about the punishment of drunk driving vs speeding?

Do you think someone who is going 25mph over the speed limit should be punished the same as someone who gets pulled over for dui? In this example the person going 25mph over the speed limit is not drinking but the guy who got pulled overfor a dui is.

its a good debate. but i feel drunk driving is much more serious because the person has ALREADY IMPAIRED their natural driving abilities before they even get behind the wheel.

 

[Dial_tone]

They're both concious decisions to do something stupid. The penalties should be equally steep in both cases.

 

[The Ranger]

Man drunk, while driving 25mph in a 35mph zone
Man sober, driving 85mph. in a 35mph zone

Who's the worst driver in this sit.?


Ranger

 

[Heahy Minister]

If you read all my posts in the other thread, you will see that I say the same thing, but that our deviance in opinion pertains to speeding.

DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.... SIMPLE! That is established.

Also, I think it's a bad idea giving someone advice on getting out of drinking and driving. If you help someone get out of a dui, you only encourage them to continue to drink and drive because they think they can get out of it next time around. That is foolish and does nothing to discourage one from drinking and driving.

The difference in opinion comes from the issue of speeding.
It is contradictory of you to say speeding is not reckless, while drunk driving is. By speeding, I mean driving over the limit set by the state/province which is deemed safe. The more over the speed limit you drive, the more reckless the act. Just like the more alcohol in ones bloodstream the more 'reckless' one is. While others are driving consistently at the speed limit, one who drives over that limit is putting others at risk....thus, they are in fact putting others in inherent danger.

You are excusing one case while demonizing another. That is contradictory.

 

[Heahy Minister]

But what about the punishment of drunk driving vs speeding?

Do you think someone who is going 25mph over the speed limit should be punished the same as someone who gets pulled over for dui? In this example the person going 25mph over the speed limit is not drinking but the guy who got pulled overfor a dui is.

You have not answered my questions in the other thread.

Is it not reckless for someone to drive 90 mph in a 60 mph zone?

What about in a school/residential area with children going 60 mph in 25 mph zone? I see this ALL the time... is that not reckless and dangerous?

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Man drunk, while driving 25mph in a 35mph zone
Man sober, driving 85mph. in a 35mph zone

Who's the worst driver in this sit.?


Ranger

Or,

Man drunk, while driving 85mph in a 35mph zone
Man sober, driving 25mph. in a 35mph zone

It works both ways.

One has better motor coordination than the other, in either case. (depending how intoxicated the driver is, of course)

 

[Dial_tone]

Man drunk, while driving 25mph in a 35mph zone
Man sober, driving 85mph. in a 35mph zone

Who's the worst driver in this sit.?

Neither. It is possible to kill someone driving 25mph and it is equally possibly to miss someone at 85mph.

 

[hardrock]

Drinking and driving is stupid anyway you take it. Though it affects each person differently. I've seen many people drive better drunk than some sober drivers. Some people drive just fine with a few beers and some people have 3 and drive like a blind folded retard.

 

[The Ranger]

I agree, don't get me wrong, Bouncing in clubs I've seen the worst of liquor related incidents...Main reason I do not drink...ever.

Ranger

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

The ONLY difference is the monster media campaign associated with DUI.

Only difference.

Yet, we are NOT lowering the percentage pf DUI drivers.


Driving drunk is stupid.

Punishing people who have not injured anyone or done property damage based on "potential" is wrong!

Thoise who cause harm, punish severely. Those who do not...traffic ticket.

We are arresting 1.4 million people a year for this. Many millions more are getting home DUI.

The actual amount that cause any problems is miniscule.

 

[DrDillio]

You have not answered my questions in the other thread.

Is it not reckless for someone to drive 90 mph in a 60 mph zone?

What about in a school/residential area with children going 60 mph in 25 mph zone? I see this ALL the time... is that not reckless and dangerous?

Yes. it is reckless. But is it reckless to speed all the time? It is reckless to speed all the time while driving drunk -- hence, the stiffer penalty.

 

[DrDillio]

Punishing people who have not injured anyone or done property damage based on "potential" is wrong!

I guess we should throw out all conspiracy charges in the united states then? What about attempted murder where no one is hurt, b ut there is only a potential to get hurt. Meaning the guy never fired the gun but had a big orgainzed plan to kill someone or hired a hit man. They shoudl just go free because they didn't injure anyone.

Good call

 

[DrDillio]

Why aren't people understanding that THE MAJORITY OF TRAFFIC DEATHS ARE NOT FROM DRUNK DRIVERS.

Meaning those SPEEDERS, those HORRIBLE DRIVERS, those people who TALK ON CELL PHONES, those people who CUT OFF OTHERS, those who PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE ROAD, those who DRIVE TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS, and those with CRAPPY CARS WITH HORRIBLE MAINTNANCE RECORDS/TIRES, ETC. kill 92% of the people on the road!

People who do all the above should get the SAME AMOUNT of punishment as a dui. Why, cuz those people above account for 92% OF TRAFFIC DEATHS! Meaning you have a MUCH MUCH HIGHER chance of dying from a guy cutting you off, or speeding into you, or running a red light -- then from a drunk driver.

Put into perspective now?

-= nav =-

Makes sense nav. But you are forgetting the major component to drunk drivers. They go out with an intent to be reckless. They might not think I'm going to kill someone. b ut they go out knowing they are inhibited in the way they react and the way they handle a car. Someone who speeds is not.

This is the difference. You KNOW when you get behind the wheel when you are drunk that you stand a higher chance of killing someone. Sober people don't have that added risk, just the risk that they could be asshole drivers.

 

[magman1]

one of the only things i believe strongly against

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

I guess we should throw out all conspiracy charges in the united states then? What about attempted murder where no one is hurt, b ut there is only a potential to get hurt. Meaning the guy never fired the gun but had a big orgainzed plan to kill someone or hired a hit man. They shoudl just go free because they didn't injure anyone.

Good call

You're just whining because your anti - DUI argument sucks, and like 5 other people on this board have called you on it. This represents my last response to you on the subject - want to be emotional? be my guest. But logic eldues you, and therefore you cannot understand consistency inteh legal system. The soccer mommies at MADD await you.

Murder has an intent element that is absent in the legal definition of other homicides. (Ever hear of attempted mansalughter? Conspiracy to commit criminally negligent homicide?)

DUI lacks any intent element - even when somone gets killed. That is why DUI killers are virtually NEVER prosecuted for murder. (It happens once in a blue moon as a felony murder charge). Thus, your parallels / analogies are invalid.

Say hi to the mommies for me.

 

[Heahy Minister]

Makes sense nav. But you are forgetting the major component to drunk drivers. They go out with an intent to be reckless. They might not think I'm going to kill someone. b ut they go out knowing they are inhibited in the way they react and the way they handle a car. Someone who speeds is not.

This is the difference. You KNOW when you get behind the wheel when you are drunk that you stand a higher chance of killing someone. Sober people don't have that added risk, just the risk that they could be asshole drivers.

You need to take a step back and think things through LOGICALLY because you are soooo off base on some of your comments dude!

Drunk drivers do not INTEND to drive recklessly. Drunk drivers get behind the wheel thinking they are fine to drive and may end up being reckless, but they did NOT intend to drive that way. You are totally off on this it's funny.

Speeding is RECKLESS! Using your line, speeders KNOW when they speed they stand a higher chance of killing someone then a non-speeder. Do you not agree with this? A speeder has a higher chance of killing someone then a non-speeder.... YES or NO?? It works BOTH ways dude!

You must treat speeding the same as drunk driving (like me) or else you contradict yourself over and over and over and over and over again like you are doing.

 

[Optimus B]

Why aren't people understanding that THE MAJORITY OF TRAFFIC DEATHS ARE NOT FROM DRUNK DRIVERS.

Meaning those SPEEDERS, those HORRIBLE DRIVERS, those people who TALK ON CELL PHONES, those people who CUT OFF OTHERS, those who PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE ROAD, those who DRIVE TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS, and those with CRAPPY CARS WITH HORRIBLE MAINTNANCE RECORDS/TIRES, ETC. kill 92% of the people on the road!

People who do all the above should get the SAME AMOUNT of punishment as a dui. Why, cuz those people above account for 92% OF TRAFFIC DEATHS! Meaning you have a MUCH MUCH HIGHER chance of dying from a guy cutting you off, or speeding into you, or running a red light -- then from a drunk driver.

Put into perspective now?

-= nav =-

good post nav.

bottom line:
1) don't drive like a tool
2) don't drive after taking in substances that hinder your ability to drive.

remember that you're operating a big piece of machinery with the ability to hurt or kill someone at any speed.

 

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