Rat Out Drunk Drivers?

[sammyg2]

LOL, here's a good one:
A california government office gives Caltrans a grant to install the signs, and then when they do they give Caltrans a safety award for doing what they paid them to do with TAXPAYER'S MONEY. Amazing. Nothing like patting yourself on the back and telling everyone how good your idea was evin if it was just a waste of money.


California Department of TransportationHeadquarters - Public Affairs Office
David Anderson
(916) 657-5060
April 11, 2007

CALTRANS WINS SAFETY AWARD FOR "REPORT DRUNK DRIVERS, CALL 911" CAMPAIGN San Diego - The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) today received an Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Achievement Award for installing signs in state roadside rest stops that call on motorists to “Report Drunk Drivers, Call 911.” According to OTS, the signs “have significantly contributed to promoting and enhancing traffic safety in California.”

“These signs are one way of enlisting all Californians to combat the danger of drinking and driving, by giving them an easy way to report offenders and make our highways safer,” said Caltrans Director Will Kempton.

Caltrans began installing the signs during Memorial Day weekend 2006, in time for the start of the busy summer driving season. More than 100 million motorists visit roadside rest stops in California each year.

Five departments within the state Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency -- Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control – have joined forces in urging the public to report suspected drunk drivers by calling 911.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) also participated in statewide public education events as part of the campaign.

“The Office of Traffic Safety is proud to partner with Caltrans in a campaign that is crucial in the fight against drunk driving,” said OTS Director Christopher Murphy, whose office provided a grant to fund the signs.

[DanielDudley]

Can't remember the numbers, but some absurdly high % of accident fatalities are caused by drunk drivers.

A friend of mine is serving time for having a huge accident while driving drunk. His kids were in the car, and it just gets worse from there.

[Andre Hedrick]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I find this hard to believe. It won't prevent one drunk driver death and I'm sure it would lose a court challenge. How can someone plead guilty to a crime by signing their name before a crime has been committed and indeed before there has been anything approaching intent?

Hi Rick,

I guess it falls under the obvious clause in life.

Everyone knows your abilities become impaired with the usage of alcohol (some require less, and others a truck load more, regardless there are effects), so ... While one is sober, everyone can agree that drunk driving is bad and should be illegal, right? If this is the case, then why does it change when people are driving drunk? Simple fact, you kill someone by choice or accident, you are to be charged with the crime of murder, period. Please note, this is charged, and not convicted.

This spells out in clear language there are now additional terms one must agree with to retain the privilege to drive any vehicle, and it is not a right to have a license.

Cheers,
Andre

[Rick Lee]

Sorry. I see nothing obvious at all in law that clearly violates at least the Fifth Amendment, if not several others. I don't argue that someone can be charged with very serious criminal offenses AFTER they've committed them. But beforehand seems like a huge stretch. I think it's bad enough that we have "implied consent" laws for driver's licenses. When will that be expanded to car searches too?

If I kill someone while driving sober, chances are I'd be charged with vehicular manslaugther, at the very worst. Murder would be quite a stretch. Because drunk driving is a political issue as much as a road safety issue, killing someone while driving drunk is more likely to get a murder charge, though I don't think it warrants any more than manslaughter. Whether you're killed by a drunk driver or someone texting on their Blackberry, you're just as dead, both cases are just as unintentional and both were just as preventable. Seems to me the murder charge is then just a result of politics.

BTW, ever wonder why someone who shoots a cop, but the bullet is stopped by his vest, is only charged with attempted murder? Is the shooter's intent any different just because the victim survives? Why is it worse when the victim dies by the exact same intentions and actions? Seems to me it's just bad luck in that case.

[Andre Hedrick]

Does it state one is convicted automatically, or automatically charged? There is no violation of 5th, only drinking too many 5th's.

As you pointed out, the law falls short. If one hit someone or hit a car with someone in it while one is driving drunk and the live, one should be charged with attempted murder.

If this is about intent as the shooting of a police officer, then it sets the guidelines for intent. If you willingly drink and then drive (also professional drunks are include, I have at least three in my family) then ones intent is clear because one has prior knowledge (signed document) and agreement of the potential of ones actions.

Cheers,
Andre

[dtw]

Originally Posted by oldE

I've called the police about drunk drivers before. First time was in the late 70s, when I was an assistant Manager at 'the arches'.
It was a late Thursday afternoon, when the drive-through speaker erupted with profanity. Checked with the d-t staff who reported this guy just started cursing. I dashed out the back door to the car and advise the guys if they don't watch their language they won't be served. Three guys with a half-empty flat of beer in the car with them.
Back inside I called the local RCMP detachment and got the NCOIC, he asked if we could hold them there for three minutes. Drive-through orders started coming real slow for a bit, until I saw the police car enter the lot. As the guys were getting their munchies, the sargeant rapped on their passenger window and directed them to "Park it over there." All three got a ride and the car was towed.

I did the same thing! One minor twist - the local PD kept me on the phone until the unit arrived (small town, he was there in about 2 mins), then they instructed us to let the car go. They gleefully explained that they would be able to book the idiot on a much worse offense if he was on a public road when nabbed - versus getting him in our drive-thru line. We just told him we were cooking some nice hot fries for him and his friends, they happily waited (and continued drinking).

The instant his tires hit the public road it was all over. Never seen the blue lights flip on that fast in my life.

[Speedo959]

About a month ago me and the family were heading to Costco. The guy in front of us in a new Cadillac CTS was all over the road running stop signs and almost hitting a pole.
My wife called 911 and the police immediately responded. We hung with him for a bit, but lost him after he blew through a stop light.

About an hour later we get a call from the police saying the guy was a drug dealer gang member, fresh out of prison in a stolen car. He was caught after a high speed chase and crash. Give us your name and number the cop says, but don't worry we will keep this anonymous. Sure no problem, so we give all of our information.

Fast forward, we are now subpoenaed and have to show up in court.
Great now this little **** is gonna know where we live and get his homies to take revenge.
I'm really pissed about this whole thing and will never call again.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Speedo959

...snip
Fast forward, we are now subpoenaed and have to show up in court.
Great now this little **** is gonna know where we live and get his homies to take revenge.
I'm really pissed about this whole thing and will never call again.

I would respond I cannot recall to anything anybody asked me, I would also let the DA know what the problem is and why this will be happening right away. You need to move far away now, seriously.

[Speedo959]

What REALLY pisses me off is that my wife has to take the baby due to her breast feeding. They didn't give a crap about that. Bring the baby they said. We had already planned on her staying quiet. Hell, they have enough evidence without her being there.

[unimog406]

Driving under any influence what so ever is inexcusable. One of my friends got picked up for this a few weeks ago, having blown a .002 or some such. As far as I'm concerned its a matter of principal, not extent. You are making the decision to place your need to get home above the safety of everyone on the road. It's well beyond selfish...
some people just don't seem to get this..

[Andre Hedrick]

Originally Posted by unimog406

Driving under any influence what so ever is inexcusable. One of my friends got picked up for this a few weeks ago, having blown a .002 or some such. As far as I'm concerned its a matter of principal, not extent. You are making the decision to place your need to get home above the safety of everyone on the road. It's well beyond selfish...
some people just don't seem to get this..

+1

If honesty is not a ***** slap in the face, the above will leave you toothless!

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by varmint

i lanesplit on my motorcycle, and i can see into most cars.

i routinely see idiot cel behavior, eating, smacking kids, sex, sex involving only one person, reading, etc. my favorite was a guy on the 405 during the monday morning commute. he was hunkered down in the seat, steering with his knees. and lighting a bong with his hands.

as much as i hate the idea of ratting other motorists out to our worthless local cops, sometimes it's justified.

Stop looking in my car.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by unimog406

Driving under any influence what so ever is inexcusable. One of my friends got picked up for this a few weeks ago, having blown a .002 or some such. As far as I'm concerned its a matter of principal, not extent. You are making the decision to place your need to get home above the safety of everyone on the road. It's well beyond selfish...
some people just don't seem to get this..

Maybe in your so highly principled world, but not here. If alcohol bothers you that much, move to Saudi Arabia.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by Speedo959

About a month ago me and the family were heading to Costco. The guy in front of us in a new Cadillac CTS was all over the road running stop signs and almost hitting a pole.
My wife called 911 and the police immediately responded. We hung with him for a bit, but lost him after he blew through a stop light.

About an hour later we get a call from the police saying the guy was a drug dealer gang member, fresh out of prison in a stolen car. He was caught after a high speed chase and crash. Give us your name and number the cop says, but don't worry we will keep this anonymous. Sure no problem, so we give all of our information.

Fast forward, we are now subpoenaed and have to show up in court.
Great now this little **** is gonna know where we live and get his homies to take revenge.
I'm really pissed about this whole thing and will never call again.

Know why this happened? 'Cause by & large, DA's are among the lowest forms of life, concerned only with their W/L percentage. If you or ANYBODY has to suffer to help their W/L percentage, that's just how it is.

[Rick Lee]

I've read some crazy stats that between the hours of say 11pm and 4am, half the drivers on the road are legally drunk and also that the avergage DUI arrestee has driven over the limit between 800-1000 times before actually getting caught. I don't think I believe those, but I've read them before and more than once.

Unimog, if you think .002 is inexcusable, then you should be afraid to venture out in your car at any time. Rest assured, cell phones and other distractions pose a far greater danger to you than people driving at .002 and there are far more such people on the road. In almost every car I passed last night on my 20 miles drive home, the driver had a cell phone glued to their ear.

[70SWT]

I think that any witnessed and obvious reckless endangerment of others warrants getting the authorities involved, if you have the stomach for it.

What I worry about is the slippery slope of dropping dimes on one's fellow man. There are many behaviors that can be viewed as potentially dangerous to oneself or others. Many of these are things that make life worth living.

[legion]

Wouldn't just using mouthwash result in a .002?

[Moses]

Originally Posted by unimog406

Driving under any influence what so ever is inexcusable. One of my friends got picked up for this a few weeks ago, having blown a .002 or some such. As far as I'm concerned its a matter of principal, not extent. You are making the decision to place your need to get home above the safety of everyone on the road. It's well beyond selfish...
some people just don't seem to get this..

Are you kidding? Someone driving 40 times under the legal limit bothers you? Good grief.

Now for a little reality check. Are you aware that statistics do not support the assumption that 0.08% drivers are putting others at risk? Have you seen what the average BAC of a drunk driver is when he causes an accident? You would be shocked. These people are TANKED!

So why did we drop the legal BAC from 0.1 to 0.08 when we already knew that these drivers were not the ones putting our safety at risk? Simple. Dropping the legal BAC to 0.08 brings you into the very fat part of the BAC bell curve. We have instantly redefined many thousands of motorists as DRUNK DRIVERS. Doesn't matter that statistics don't support the concept that they are putting other ohers at risk, they represent a huge and vital source of revenue.

Note: I've never had a DUI. I've has friends die and be killed by drunk drivers. Our personal experiences should not make us blind to the facts.

[dhoward]

+1

[dtw]

Got pulled last year at a checkpoint. Rolled down the window of the car, cop recoiled at the fog of locally brewed beer fumes that assailed him. You could cut it with a knife. "Step out of the car please, sir". Did their whole song and dance, did all the physical reaction stuff perfectly. Hell, I wasn't sure I could do most of that stuff anyway, even dead sober...my friends will tell you I'm not the most dexterous guy around.. Cop and his buddy were still grinning as they pulled out the breathalyzer. Blew a 0.00. They're like "What the hell???" Man were they disappointed. Guess they didn't believe me when I told them (truthfully) that my buddy in the passenger seat was hammered and I was clean. Sure did enjoy the look of shock on their faces at the 0.00, though.