Are DUI Laws Excessive in your state ... ?

[shvl73]

Hi Scotty!
I don't think it makes sense to have the reduced threshold for a cdl driver (I have a cdl-b) when driving non-commercially. It doesn't seem sensible that a cdl driver in a VW is DWI at .04 when an operator with a standard liscense is not DWI at .07 in a 26,000lb motorhome.
Torin

 

[George2615]

Hi Scotty!
I don't think it makes sense to have the reduced threshold for a cdl driver (I have a cdl-b) when driving non-commercially. It doesn't seem sensible that a cdl driver in a VW is DWI at .04 when an operator with a standard liscense is not DWI at .07 in a 26,000lb motorhome.
Torin

It does seem like a double standard.

 

[mjarrels]

Scott,

Not to high jack this thread, but my concern is having cash on you... when we go to the Philippines for a couple months, we always have $5000.00 or $6000.00 cash with us... If every stopped by state trooper, we are drug dealers until proven not guilty... legal fees, etc can wipe us out quickly!

I guess the best defence is "I don't recall" until the book deal is finished!

mark

 

[2manyrocks]

Friend's son in early 20's with two kids under 6 hit by uninsured DUI driver suffered head injury leading to aneurysm. Had heart attack at the end of the surgery for the aneurysm. Months of rehab did not fix him. Couldn't hold down a job anymore. Can't speak clearly anymore. Can't use his arm and hand normally. His wife now supports the family with help from my friend.

Mr. Brown and I are in absolute agreement on this one.

 

[mjarrels]

Scotty,

Back to the main topic... I sometimes run down to my second house, 1/4 mile away after having a few bourbons... usually open the gate and go thru the field but have been known to take the public road a few times...

mark

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I wish the DUI laws were harsher in New York. I have two friends who refuse to learn their lessons and yet they keep getting a slap on the wrist. The one has totaled two vehicles (one in TN and one in NY) both while under the influence. He lost his license and luckily didn't kill anyone or himself but if I recall he has had at least 3 dui's in NY alone and is 31. My other friend totaled his sons truck while he was drunk but left the scene (walked away) so didn't get a DUI, only leaving the scene. His sons truck was totaled and was in the processed of being repoed. With it totaled they had no value there and his son was on the hook for the bill completely with nothing to show. He helped pay for it but none of them have much money. He got caught the other day so this is his second DUI on record. NY seems very lenient on these laws yet my friends DUI in TN cost him 30 days in jail. If he didn't lose his license he most likely would have been caught again.

Both of these guys are some of the greatest people you can imagine but they don't know when to stop drinking and they don't know enough to get a ride home after drinking. I don't know what can really be done to address poor decisions as that is what the main problem is. They are great people and even though both have little to their name they are two people you can count on if you needed help. I just don't want to hear about someone or someones child being killed by them because our laws here give people too many chances.

 

[EddieWalker]

While I agree that the .04 limit isn't fair and should not apply to a commercial license holder when he's not on the job, it is what it is. If you got pulled over, I'd be very curious why? If you didn't have that one or two beers, would you still have done what drew attention to you and why you were pulled over?

I was arrested for Drunk Driving in 1991. I had a Class B at the time and was at .14 I think. Hard to remember for sure, but it was pretty bad. No accident or anything like that, just wondering all over the street at 2am.

The courts were easy. Plead guilty and they give you the minimum. It's the Department of Motor Vehicles that makes your life miserable. They don't care and it's black and white for them.

With the lower limits, commercial drivers also get a break in getting their license back. One month with no license at all, then five or six months on a limited license that was only goof for going to and from work, driving at work and driving to class. For this, I also had to go to 16 weeks of class for drunks. That really sucked.

After it was all said and done, I changed my life around and stopped going out and getting drunk. I rarely drink now, and never if I'm going to drive. Zero. If I want a beer or glass of wine, I have it at home.

I'll never get another DUI or DWI or whatever it's called in you area. It's just not worth it or even something that I enjoy anymore.

Whatever the penalty for a first offense is, the second time offenders should be crucified. There really isn't any excuse for the second time, and there is no penalty that I feel is too severe.

Eddie

 

[ray66v]

Statistics tend to show that penalties are not a deterrent to crime. The DUI laws are no exception.

While they have succeeded in making criminals out of ordinary people, (we just recently had a local cop, who was decorated by MAD due to his outstanding record for busting people, get nailed), the hard core drunk drivers, continue to roam our roads. I am sure you have all seen the occasional local story about the "person" who has just gotten their 13th DUI. Yet, they are still find ways to drink and drive. These people are not just having one or two drinks.

They will eventually make it illegal to drink and drive at all, without waiting 8 hours, (as it is in aviation).

I, like the CDL guys, would get double jeopardy, because I have a pilot's license. On the second offense, they pull your pilot's license, even though you weren't flying.

I don't condone drunk driving. If your impaired, and you drive, I think you should be off to the big house. However, making criminals out of everyone who has one or two beers, does seem not right either.

 

[mjarrels]

If you are the son of JMU football coach (James Madison Univerty)... Two DWI's gets you a job as an assistant coach at $160,000 a year... Must report in wheel chair!

mark

 

[Cat_Driver]

It goes without saying for me that laws should tough and even tougher.

How many times have you read about someone who has had 5 or 10 DWI and THEN kills someone and everybody is scratching their hed why this happened.

I hate to impose gestapo tactics BUT.... a few more sobriety check points would be a good thing. The local check points always get many violators of not having insurance. Why is this good I've been hit three time and not one had insurance, one other time a guy hit my wife head on and ran away, cops laughed in my face when I asked what can be done.

In this day and age there is absolutely no reason people should drive drunk, it's not like the message isn't out there.

Drive drunk lose your car forever, and lose your license for 5 years. get caught again jail for a year, get caught again 5 years etc.

Too many innocent people have been killed while the drunk guy always walks away from the accident. Why is it that drunk people never get killed in an accident?