Are DUI Laws Excessive in your state ... ?

[LBrown59]

I think your states .04 BAC is a little low. Is that .04 BAC just for CDL or any license.

quote]

Good Evenin George,
1*Yes that is for a CDL, but it applies to you driving your personal vehicle !
2*Im not drunk after having one beer IMO, but the state sees it otherwise !

1*It should after all the vehicle you're driving has nothing to do with how much you're under the influence. 2*I think the state sees the same thing I do,
The alcohol has the same effect on you no matter what you're driving.

 

[shvl73]

1*It should after all the vehicle you're driving has nothing to do with how much you're under the influence. 2*I think the state sees the same thing I do,
The alcohol has the same effect on you no matter what you're driving.

1*The vehicle has nothing to do with it but, the license does.
2*The state applies two different thresholds to two different people driving the same vehicle.

 

[scott_vt]

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

Good Evenin Torin,
Thankyou, agreed !

 

[mjarrels]

It's all about lawyers and $$$... yes lives lost are bad, but it's all about $$$.

mark

 

[scott_vt]

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


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?

Good Evenin Cat,
Agreed, but we are not advocating drunk driving here !

I have been hit from behind by a drunk driver at night while at a stop light going out to dinner with my wife ! It stinks in plain english, heck he didnt even have his headlights on !!!

We are discussing why someone should be arrested after one beer !

 

[LBrown59]

1*I hold a CDL license, which in this state, you are considered DUI with a .04 BAC. I would never have a drink while driving commercially, but it is nice to have a beer or a glass of wine with your dinner when you go out to eat.
2*Unfortunately that BAC applies even if your driving the family SUV !

1*Are you saying your state has 2 different BAC limits.?
2*It should since what you're driving and the type of licenses one holds has no bearing on alcohols effect on you.

 

[Skyco]

Good Evenin Skyco,
I just dont think someone can be considered legally drunk after consumming one beer while having dinner IMHO !

Don't think so either, they'd have to be awfully small, around 75lbs or less, to reach .04 from one drink. I ran several different online BAC calculators and it takes 3 or more in a one hour period for a 175 lb man to reach .04

 

[MossRoad]

Good Evenin Skyco,
I just dont think someone can be considered legally drunk after consumming one beer while having dinner IMHO !

The two terms "legally drunk" and "impaired" come to my mind...

Many years ago, I went to a Mexican restaurant with my wife and had a mug of margaritas. That was 2 drinks. I had had nothing to eat all day, and it was hot out, so I slammed that thing down with some chips and salsa. When I stood up, I was buzzed, uncoordinated and, in my opinion, "impaired" to the point that I should not drive. According to all the charts, I should have been no where near "legally drunk", but I was drunk on two drinks. I was pretty shocked, because, at the time, I was a 12 pack kind if guy, if you know what mean (not too proud of that, these days).

In this day and age, knowing what we know about the effects of alcohol, twice as many people in our country as there were 40 years ago, friends and family to take turns driving, etc... there is little to no excuse for driving after drinking any more.

 

[LBrown59]

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

*I agree; so level the playing field and make it .04 across the board for everybody.

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

*I just don't see why anybody feels the need to have any BAC in order to drive.

 

[LBrown59]

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

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..

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.

Nothing wrong with that.
It's the way it should be.