Menace of Drunk Driving (driven home,no pun intended)

[rangerjim93]

The other day (Thursday, Nov. 1), I got word from my brother that his car was totalled in an accident involving a drunk driver who was also unlicensed as well. Fortunately he was not hurt. He is still recovering from an end of May accident that took place in Gasport where the semi truck he was driving got tee boned at the cab by another truck trying to run a light. My brother's truck got hit in the driver's side of the cab. That he was not killed was a miracle. That is beside the point, which is, drunk drivers, whether they kill, maime, injure or not, need to be treated a lot more harshly than they are now. Any active volunteer/paid fireman responding to a call at 2:00am, when the most drunks are on the road, is putting himself at risk just by getting his car or pickup running and rolling to the fire hall at that hour. I do not doubt that a number of volunteer responders have been killed by drunk drivers while responding to a call. One suggestion I have is that when a drunk driver is stopped by a trooper,sheriff's deputy or local cop, his car, along with his license should be confiscated, along with a term in,say Attica. Not only that, but the bars that keep serving these people should also be held accountable as well. Even a first time drunk driver should get the book thrown at him or her. These people, when they get behind the wheel, thoroughy pickled, are just as much a danger to emergency responders as they are to everyone else. It is twice I almost lost my brother, first due to someone else's carelessness, and now to a drunk driver. Those who kill belong on death row as far as I am concerned. Let's get these bastards off the road before they wipe out an entire engine or truck crew responding to a fire.

[nmfire]

First offense should be mandatory jail time, even if it is only a few days or a week. No questions. You blow over the limit or you refuse the test, you go to jail. Period. End of story. And this $500 non-surety thing, forget it. $1000 minimum to get out after that little stay.

[guardo83]

First offense should be mandatory jail time, even if it is only a few days or a week. No questions. You blow over the limit or you refuse the test, you go to jail. Period. End of story. And this $500 non-surety thing, forget it. $1000 minimum to get out after that little stay.

I agree, even though I still think you're being to nice. I just cut "one" out of their car this morning, investigation pending.

[nmfire]

Well, my theory is that the current system is too lax and therefore not enough of a deterent. If you are nice, you can walk out of the police station as soon as you done with booking. You get your license back after 24hrs and then sometime down the road you go to court for it. First time offenders often do not get a suspension. Repeat offenders get a suspension with conditions or a work permit. Repeat repeat offenders lose their work permit. In all cases, the idiot will continue to drive regardless of the suspension. And usually they will keep drinking too.

If these idiots knew they would be in real jail for a several days on the first offense, they might think twice about it. Right now, the DUI laws are like parking tickets.... the cost of doing business.