Miscellaneous ramblings.....

'While we are at it, lets give drunk drivers specially colored license plates too, then we could really spot them easily. And to make sure we know were they live and work, lets make them re-new their drivers licenses or ID cards every year.'

This is a great idea! I believe Ohio is the only state that currently uses this practice. As for your call for crime numbers... It's not even close. According to the CDC, alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes (16,885 deaths per year). The same web site claims in the United States a women is raped about every 2 minutes (262,800 rapes per year). A quick search came up with numbers ranging from 250,00 to 500,000 rapes per year. Rape numbers are more difficult to calculate because of the belief that a large numbers of rapes go unreported.

Alcohol related deaths are a big problem but the numbers do not back your claims.
cdc.com

DRUNK DRIVING IN AMERICA
• Alcohol-impaired driving is the most frequently committed violent crime in the U.S. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2003)
• Nearly 17,000 people die in alcohol-related traffic crashes (NHTSA, 2005)
• In 2001, more than half a million people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present — an average of one person injured approximately every minute. (Blincoe, Seay et al., 2002 )
• An estimated three of every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related traffic crash at some time in their lives. (NHTSA, 2001)
• Research shows that alcohol-related crashes cost the public an estimated $114.3 billion annually—this includes an estimated $63.2 billion lost in quality of life due to these crashes. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)
• The societal costs of alcohol-related crashes average $1.00 per drink consumed. People other than the drinking driver paid $0.60 per drink. (Taylor, Miller, and Cox, 2002)
• Approximately 1.4 million drivers were arrested in 2001 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 137 licensed drivers in the United States (NHTSA, 2003).

Rape statistics

Every two and a half minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
In 2004-2005, there were an average annual 200,780 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30.
Since 1993, rape/sexual assault has fallen by over 69%


Not limited to Strangers
Contrary to the belief that rapists are hiding in the bushes or in the shadows of the parking garage, almost two-thirds of all rapes were committed by someone who is known to the victim. 73% of sexual assaults were perpetrated by a non-stranger — 38% of perpetrators were a friend or acquaintance of the victim, 28% were an intimate and 7% were another relative.
National Crime Victimization Survey, 2005


http://www.rainn.org/statistics

"We had a joke, if you run an MVA call, and it's past 10:00 and you don't find a drunk, keep looking... someone is missing."

I've heard lawyers advise clients to leave the scene of an accident if they have been drinking.
Terry, not trying to argue either. I have to admit that I missed 'hurt or killed' in your original post. For some reason I only read 'killed'. I believe they are both a serious problem and I believe you do too. I want to keep drunks of the road just not at all cost.

Good catch JP. Once again you prove to be a man who can read the lines, as well as between them.
You should run for office.

It's sad but true. A crime that everyone fears so much is more times than not, carried out by someone known to the victim, not a stranger who lives down the street or hides in the shadows.
But a crime that has been labeled as "the most frequently committed violent crime in the U.S." by our own government, continues to be perpetrated by those same people who fear the rapists and sexual assailants out there.

Apparently jail time doesn’t dissuade people from driving intoxicated, (and besides, our prisons are already full of pot smokers) so what will? How about public shame and humiliation by posting their crime, number of times committed, and where they live and work on a special national website, and specially colored license plates for all to see? Would that be too harsh?

After watching Fox4’s Drunk Drivers special report last night, I have come to the conclusion that the problem (besides the obvious, people with drinking problems) is within the court system itself. So any idea of a court ordered punishment gets thrown out the window. Unless of course, the punishment is the same across the board. No deviations allowed.

continued........

Biker-Terry, let me say I agree with most of what you say and I can understand your passion. There is no excuse for there to be people still driving who have had two or more convictions for driving while intoxicated. But I feel the same way about people who drive while under the influence of drugs, but you hear far less about them.

I do take exception with you statistical data. When you look at the TOTAL number in injury and fatal vehicular accidents, drunk drivers make up a small percentage. Inattention is he number one cause of most vehicular accidents whether they result in injury, death or property damage. Resent studies are starting to show that cell phone users are as dangerous in some cases to the motoring public as drunk drivers. That’s no excuse for drunk driving, but now we have something just as bad to be concerned about and there are more cell phone users than drunk drivers and the number is growing. With respect to the statistics. Most police departments get grant (Federal & State) money to help with DUI enforcement. This is based on statistics gathered related to alcohol related crashes. The problem is this, not all statistical data is totally accurate. For example, an intoxicated pedestrian steps off the curb into the path of a vehicle and is struck and injured. The driver of the car has not been drinking and is not charged. However, since the police report shows that the pedestrian was intoxicated, it gets counted as an alcohol related traffic accident. The same thing happens if a person who has been drinking, but not legally intoxicated, is stopped at a

As the saying goes, driving buzzed is the same as driving drunk...

And I to like my beer, at home, not behind the wheel of a car.

I had a DUI many years ago and learned my lesson. I want no part of hurting someone or getting thrown in jail.