DUI - your opinion

[Iamanerd]

He should consider himself lucky on how easy he's getting off the hook. A friend of mine died to a drunk driver and that changed alot of people who where friends with him including myself. From that day I realized DUI should be more strict like the example of Neveda's DUI laws. Me myself if I drink I usually do it at a friends or families house and plan to stay the night. Even then though I'm not a fan of beer so I rarely drink let alone get drunk.

Just put yourself in some one elses shoes who has lost someone close to them and you will realize drinking and driving is not worth it.

[rigoremortis]

So I was talking to a buddy of mine and discovered that he has been charged with DUI. Details as follows:

- night of heavy drinking at buddy's place(the usual just like every weekend)
- drove home and passed through a roadcheck
- for whatever reason, the cops suspected something and had him use the breathalyzer(from experience they always just wave me by)
- he got a "fail" reading, which you need to hit 0.08 or greater. If you blow 0.04 - 0.0.5, I believe that's only a "warning" which is more lenient

He faces:

- $1000 fine
- loss of all vehicle insurance discounts
- 3 month driving suspension
- installation of mandatory breathalyzer device in vehicle($1000 * 12 months cost to owner)
- mandatory safe driving course($900 cost to owner)
- $8500 in legal fees

IF convicted of DUI, he gets a permanent criminal record, with all of its lovely restrictions.

Here's what I don't get/understand, so maybe you guys can enlighten me.

I'm not sure how he'll weasel out of this. Unless somehow he can maybe argue, oh the breathalyzer is faulty or gave a faulty reading, not even sure if he can use that defense. But let's say he pleads guilty and says to the judge "OK OK I drank a little bit, but don't you think slapping a criminal record is a bit too much?"

He says that he wasn't dangerous, he wasn't driving erratically, and all these rules are way overboard. In fact he says just because of all this, he's gonna leave the country in 6 months and live elsewhere, essentially in an effort to boycott the insurance agency here, for failing him. And he promises to vote for whoever relaxes this nation's crazy, unfair rules.

So what do you guys think? Were these DUI conditions just way too crazy and overboard? Does his defense hold water? Or does he plainly get what he deserves?

you're friend sounds spot-on like my cousin. he got 2 dui's and throughout all the warnings i gave him and told him to stop doing that shit, he kept the same attitude as your friend. last April my cousin was out "heavily drinking", much like your friend; he got into a head-on collision, killed a family of 3, and is now a paraplegic in a wheelchair, serving a life sentence. his life turned out pretty great, id say, lol.


please, for the love of god, slap your friend for me and tell him he's a fucking idiot. he too will think he's invincible until he ends someone else's life stupidly, its never worth it to drink and drive.....ever.

[Maruka]

DUI is a real scum bag move, your buddy deserves what is coming to him. Oh and there is a chance he can buy his way out, a guy i know did but he ended up with 14000 dollars in lawyer fees.

Man enough to drink and drive, man enough to take the punishment. Suits him right.

[Fatel]

So I was talking to a buddy of mine and discovered that he has been charged with DUI. Details as follows:

He faces:

- $1000 fine
- loss of all vehicle insurance discounts
- 3 month driving suspension
- installation of mandatory breathalyzer device in vehicle($1000 * 12 months cost to owner)
- mandatory safe driving course($900 cost to owner)
- $8500 in legal fees

I

Ask him how this cost compares to having to look into the eyes of the parents of the kid you just killed because you were a fucking moron. Pretty cheap I'd say...

[Hanto]

Sorry to say but regardless of how often he does it, he's putting everyone else at risk when he steps into that vehicle with the intention to operate it while under the influence. It takes only one time to kill one (or even many) people because you were a little careless with your driving or could not use correct judgement. I hope your friend learns from this. If he pleads guilty, I doubt they'll take it easy (even if it is his first offense). From what I've heard, most places aren't too forgiving about DUI offenses.

---------- Post added 2012-04-10 at 03:21 PM ----------

Ask him how this cost compares to having to look into the eyes of the parents of the kid you just killed because you were a fucking moron. Pretty cheap I'd say...

I also agree with this statement. You could say that your friend DID get off lightly.

[Varyk]

DUI's are serious shit, regardless if people think they weren't "that drunk" or "not drunk enough". It's still putting others people lives in danger, which no one has any right to do. Even if he didn't hurt anyone else, he still could have. Thats why they take it so seriously. It sucks but he knew the risks he was taking by getting in the car. Just call a cab or have someone pick u up.

[Deleted]

You can tell the general consensus which is drunk drivers are actually complete douches and deserve what they get.

The law is there as a preventative measure. Prosecute people who drink drive, less people will attempt to drink drive, fewer drink drivers to cause serious accidents.

The alcohol levels are standardised; you may be able to handle 4 beers and drive perfectly fine, someone else may not, you cannot have one alcohol blood level for you and another for someone else. The amount of alcohol may not have an effect on you so what, its designed to get as many people who it can to prevent risk.

To be honest, there are some countries (i believe one country who have it for people who just passed for a period of 2 years) where ANY ALCOHOL and you are driving over the influence. Fairly sure most people can handle a small amount of alcohol without having a significant side effect, but it has an effect.

The ONLY time, i may say bad luck to a drunk driver are when they drive the next day and still have traces in there blood, all be it then if its a heavy drinking session you should leave it for a longer period of time before you drive.

[igame]

Anyone found driving over the limit should be banned from driving for at least 3 years AND be fined in excess of 10k.
These people kill innocent drivers/by standers etc.

It's a pity DUI people are not tried for manslaughter.

---------- Post added 2012-04-10 at 10:13 PM ----------

If you're truly interesting in helping him (and it seems you are, so good on you ) then let him know about the fatal flaw in his arguement about moving to another country: their laws are stricter.


http://www.aboutdwi.com/blog/dwi-laws-around-the-world/
http://webpages.charter.net/ricknet/duilaws.htm

The death penalty ones are false (used to be, but no longer).

In comparison, he's getting off easy... especially if he can get the charges dropped down.

I pray the charges are not dropped and he gets a criminal record. Anyone who's lost a loved one to a DUI retard would feel the same way. May the OPs friend get buttfucked in prison.