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RICHMOND
Virginia authorities are planning a statewide crackdown on drunken driving.
Attorney General William Mims, Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner D.B. Smit and other officials scheduled a news conference for today at 2 p.m. to announce the launch of the 2009 Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign.
The campaign includes public education and increased law enforcement.
Earlier today, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced $17 million in federal highway safety grants for cities, agencies and organizations across the state.
To view a list of the grants, click here.
Pilot writer Cindy Clayton contributed to this report.
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Impacting DUI offenses
The State could require all registered vehicles have an alcosenser and if tampered with would be confiscated until owner pays a fine and to have it reinstalled properly at a state run facility. The state should also tack another $2000 on every car that is sold new or old . This could be verified at registration to have an functioning alcosensor installed. Some people will really think this is unreasonable for the poor and deprived however watch a majority of those poor and deprived walk out of the 7-11 stores (smoking cigarettes) on friday evenings and the bars all weekend. They are often deprived because of their decision to drink their alcohol for entertainment, image and lifestyle.
Public Cash machine
Revenue generator - that's all this is for the state. Were it about stopping or curtailing the limited amount of drinking and driving that goes on, they'd concentrate on education AND do so between holiday weekends. Instead, it's a big parade of cops looking to pad their arrest record with unconstitutional traffic "checkpoints" in the name of "cracking down".
What a load of crap! Anyone that's ever been through the DUI game in this state can tell you it's all about the Benjamins; it has nothing to do with anything else. Money, money, money... and Timmy is really short this year, so watch out!!!
:-)
too drunk to drive
Too drunk to drive for the most part starts in a bar. Depending on your weight 4 or 5 alcoholic drinks and you are above the legal limit. That's where the problem begins, and there is no end in sight.
Increase penalties
Many fatalities caused by drunk drivers are not first time offenders. I would recommend that second offense DUI be considered a felony. That a first offense more than .15 BAC be considered a felony. That any accident involving an injury caused by a DUI driver be considered a felony. Fatalities caused by a drunk driver now are considered involuntary manslaughter with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. That should be made a murder charge.
Thats how you reduce DUI fatalities. I commend that state for making the effort but it is time to put some serious teeth in the DUI laws.
Upgrade breathalyzers
Why don’t we just rig the breathalyzers to explode when they read above .88 BAC (10% safety margin) that way we won’t have to worry about repeat offenders OR having to pay to feed and house the offender for the rest of his life. Or we could just shoot them and compost the bodies. There are many ways to cut down on DUI’s
Touchy subject?
You sound like this article hit a raw nerve. There is definately a problem with any adult that would make light of this problem. And if you are just a "Kid" then maybe when you drink, drive, kill someone and blow a .088 and spend at least 10 years of your life in prison I sure hope you enjoyed that last drink. But hey in 10 years you can start all over again and see which way you decide to go then. This is a great country America.
You play your games and lawenforcement plays theirs. I'm a gambler. I buy a Lotto ticket every now and then. Good luck in your game!
Re: Jet BAC
It's obvious that you're not smarter than a fifth grader. The legal limit in VA is .08% blood alcohol content (BAC). 10 percent higher would be .088% BAC. Your .88% BAC would mean that you were absolutely, positivly, one hundred percent.....DEAD.
I will admit my ignorance of the legal limit
I don't know the legal BAC limit, I admit it. The reason is that I haven't had a drink of alcohol since January of 1979.
The reason I am smarting off about this is that I am getting tired of seeing all of the posturing and nothing getting done! We can take away the cars of drug dealers, why not drunk drivers? I work with a lot of young males (yes that means USN) and they don't care about fines or jail time for the most part. Something has to be done to make them stop. We can't have them horse whipped and throwing them in jail just makes everybody else pay for their mistakes. I really don't have an answer but something has to be done to wake them up. Thus the idea of a breathalyzer that detonates at legal limit plus 10% (I guess that is 0.088). It is only partially tongue in cheek.
.08, .088, .880, .8888 .......................................
DEAD, DEFINATELY DEAD. .88 But hey when your that drunk and the police officer says anything with an 8 in it it doen't sound all that bad right?
Gov. Responsible
The Gov.is responsibe for sell the alcohol in the first place,they are to busy with fines and law suites on drug company that is trying to save lives to see what alchhol is doing to life in many ways and taking lives.The blame is on the Gov.