[Mike Andrew]

Drunk driving is a serious problem and needs penalties that discourage additional instances. Too many lives ruined or lost due to f-d up people behind the wheel. My take is that most repeat offenders have alcohol addiction issues and need treatment starting with the self admission that they have a problem. I can understand one DUI as a matter of bad judgement - like leaving a wedding and thinking you are okay. Arrest, court, punishment and lesson learned; won't happen again. Chronic offenders require severe punishments.
However, I also believe that this has turned into a revenue source for a lot of localities. Perhaps that is part of the below the legal limit is not DUI but "impaired" offense rationale. Still provides revenue. Have a few friends who have fallen into this trap after trying to be responsible, had a couple of beers/ drinks in the course of an entire evening and done a rolling stop or did not signal early enough at a corner and gotten nailed for impaired with just a trace of alcohol on the breathalyzer after passing the roadside sobriety tests. Easy money.
A thought -if a driver demands a blood test and it returns negative for intoxicants, is the arrest voided and who pays for the test?