[wacor]

Will lowering blood alcohol levels to less than .08 make a difference and if so how?

The MADD crowd would probably like to see it dropped to zero which is a laudable goal. However lowering the current limits IMO will do nothing other than to make criminals out of people that are not drunk. The drivers that are making things dangerous are the ones who have double the legal limit and not those who have had 2-4 drinks.

Instead of lowering the limits in a search for results how about we take the existing laws more seriously like they do in many countries in Europe. Over there it is almost a stigma to drink and drive. It is the norm to either have a designated driver or people drinking are stopped from driving. Seems like that is a better way to approach this but then that would take some serious changes to the mindset of the judicial system along with making the laws tougher on those who are drunk.

I have stated a few times I was rear ended by a guy that was blind drunk in the middle of an afternoon. He was as drunk as I have ever seen anybody. almost to the point of being comatose. when we finally got him to stop and blocked the car he just sat there. after the police arrested him the one cop indicated he had at least 5 prior DUI convictions. How many times do dangerous people like this get chances and how many people have to be killed or hurt by a raging drunk before we lock these people up for years.

No the causal drinker should not be made a criminal. we need to lock up the existing drunks who are out there. and we know who they are yet give them chance after chance to go out there and risk others lives.

[Fidelista]

If less than .08 is required , then how could alcohol be sold in any bar , restaurant ,or any public place?.
The only way to be sure of not getting busted would be stay at home. Less than .08 is would be a problem.
It would be much like a prohibition.
It would make no sense to me.
You would have business selling drink legally and profitably , and anyone who consumed it subject to jailing . Lets see how a proposal to stop drinking in a public establishment would go over >f

[TRS-80 vet]

Making (or changing) a law, or changing the penalty therefor, stops no one from breaking it.

[Bastiat]

Originally Posted by Fidelista

If less than .08 is required , then how could alcohol be sold in any bar , restaurant ,or any public place?.
The only way to be sure of not getting busted would be stay at home. Less than .08 is would be a problem.
It would be much like a prohibition.
It would make no sense to me.
You would have business selling drink legally and profitably , and anyone who consumed it subject to jailing . Lets see how a proposal to stop drinking in a public establishment would go over >f

How about having one person who doesn't drink?

[Littlefield]

DUI laws have lots of loopholes for lawyers especially in SC . Even if it is above .08 a good lawyer can get you off.

[Fidelista]

Originally Posted by Bastiat

How about having one person who doesn't drink?

Its not realistic . A couple goes out , has a couple of glasses of wine , happens all the time . They are not going to drag somebody along . Besides , its hard to find someone to hang around just to drive .
I do not believe in driving drunk , but like anything else , this stuff can be overdone . >f

[wacor]

Originally Posted by Fidelista

Its not realistic . A couple goes out , has a couple of glasses of wine , happens all the time . They are not going to drag somebody along . Besides , its hard to find someone to hang around just to drive .
I do not believe in driving drunk , but like anything else , this stuff can be overdone . >f

Well it may be overdone but there are movements to lower the DUI level.

If I remember right was it not .15 at one time long ago?

[Bastiat]

Originally Posted by Fidelista

Its not realistic . A couple goes out , has a couple of glasses of wine , happens all the time . They are not going to drag somebody along . Besides , its hard to find someone to hang around just to drive .
I do not believe in driving drunk , but like anything else , this stuff can be overdone . >f

I didn't say I support the lowering but someone needs to be responsible. One drink can impair the ability to drive, even if its almost imperceptible. The question becomes, did that little difference allow the accident to occur.

[valley]

Originally Posted by Fidelista

If less than .08 is required , then how could alcohol be sold in any bar , restaurant ,or any public place?

hate to say it but I get drunk on a half a beer. Seriously. But I have a high tolerance to wine. Either that or wine gives me a different feeling than beer and I dont feel drunk..just relaxed. Either way, I wouldnt drive after a glass of wine, even though I dont feel drunk any more than I would after drinking a half a beer and feel drunk. The fact is that alcohol changes your response time. My relaxed feeling after drinking wine is all it might take for me to not be able to stop in time if someone's child ran out in front of me.

[valley]

Originally Posted by Bastiat

The question becomes, did that little difference allow the accident to occur.

Exactly.

Besides, i'd rather not have that little "what-if" to ponder for the rest of my life if I killed someone in a car accident after having one drink. At least sober, you know that it was unavoidable.

[pyritechips]

I believe in Draconian measure for bot drunk drivers and dangerous drivers: lose your licence for 5 years. Second offence: lose it forever. Driving is a priviledge, not a right.

[pyritechips]

Originally Posted by valley

Exactly.

Besides, i'd rather not have that little "what-if" to ponder for the rest of my life if I killed someone in a car accident after having one drink. At least sober, you know that it was unavoidable.

At least sober? I have seen dangerous, selfish, self-absorbed sober drivers risking the lives of others. Even sober, most accidents are avoidable. In this province, which is home to the worst drivers in the country, the cause of fully 80% of all accidents are classified as "driver error".

[Fidelista]

Originally Posted by valley

hate to say it but I get drunk on a half a beer. Seriously. But I have a high tolerance to wine. Either that or wine gives me a different feeling than beer and I dont feel drunk..just relaxed. Either way, I wouldnt drive after a glass of wine, even though I dont feel drunk any more than I would after drinking a half a beer and feel drunk. The fact is that alcohol changes your response time. My relaxed feeling after drinking wine is all it might take for me to not be able to stop in time if someone's child ran out in front of me.

All I am saying is this , if it only takes one beer , or a glass of wine to be jailed , then alcohol should prohibited from being consumed in a public establishment .
You get to the point where you would drive in , park in parking lot provided , and then be arrested on leaving.
A field day for cops and lawyers !.
I agree , any amount of alcohol has an effect , its the degree that is in question.
People who work too many hours{ fatigue} are also slow in response time. Even a common cold slows response .
I used to avoid flying , esp at night which I loved to do , when sick with cold , would be better off full of beer --no joke.. Worse than a sixpack by far. I once landed on a road at night , and after landing , seen that I just missed powerlines crossing the road , something I normally looked for , could have killed me . I screwed up all night , no alcohol , just sick with head cold..
I have lost a son, 5 yr old , to a drunk driver , so make no mistake about how I feel . The woman who killed my son was DRUNK off her arse--teenage girl. I do not think drunk driving or flying -is funny.
That said , I would hope that people could continue to have drinks with dinner , maybe pizza and beer , or a stop for a drink at pub without a problem.
Its all about what degree , how far someone wants to go .
I could live with a prohibition of public drinking , but I think its unreasonable .
I think the law is just fine as it stands .
If we really wanted to get serious about drunks --it would have to deal severely with repeat offenders somehow , they will kill.
In the case of my son , nothing will prevent those things , teenagers are a danger to us all , and themselves , its just the way it is . We can only hope that they escape teen years without killing themselves , or others. I have driven when I shouldn't have , but thank god , I got away with it .
>f

[Guyzer]

Originally Posted by valley

hate to say it but I get drunk on a half a beer.

Cheap date eh..

Originally Posted by valley

Seriously. But I have a high tolerance to wine.

For Carls sake stick to the beer ok..

Originally Posted by valley

Either that or wine gives me a different feeling than beer and I dont feel drunk..just relaxed.

For Carls sake please feel free to drink as much wine as you want.

Originally Posted by valley

Either way, I wouldnt drive after a glass of wine, even though I dont feel drunk any more than I would after drinking a half a beer and feel drunk.

We have something in common.

Originally Posted by valley

The fact is that alcohol changes your response time.

And that's an indisputable fact which most drinkers refuse to acknowledge.

[TRS-80 vet]

Originally Posted by Guyzer

Cheap date eh..

For Carls sake stick to the beer ok..

For Carls sake please feel free to drink as much wine as you want.

We have something in common.

And that's an indisputable fact which most drinkers refuse to acknowledge.

Guyzer? Ya mean guzzler?