Thoughts on DUI?

[Clutch]

Just wondering on my fellow brewers thoughts about Australian DUI laws/penalties?

I work for DTMR, and I'm astounded at the amount of people who still think of getting caught behind the wheel at .192 as just "bad luck".

The latest was a truckie who couldn't get a job becuase of his interlock condition, and (direct quote) said:

"This interlock thing ruins lives".

You can probably guess my response.

Are we too soft, being .05, rather than say, the US's .08 for most states?

 

[Black Devil Dog]

No, I would rather his life be ruined because he can't learn, than him drive his truck into mine or anyone's family while driving under the influence.

I have a truck, but in my experience, truck drivers are the biggest cowboys on the road, many seem to have a "might is right" bully boy attitude.

The point of view of some people I know regarding DUI, is whether they will get caught or not. It doesn't seem to register that they might kill someone, destroy a families life, as well as their own and have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives.

Don't you mean too hard .05 compared to .08?

Leave it at .05

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

No excuses......get caught then tuff

Mind you..but..I have done the drove home drunk one eye open and woke up and thought...**** me..

I have driven home from local pub and woke up in the morning to see the front of my work car torn off...as a result of me leaving the pub shitfaced and reversing and collecting the rear of the other car.

Yes I live in a rural area and have had to put the car into autopilot.

How the **** i got home on many ocassions is beyond me.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

You get caught then tough....

There are times when I think back and if I was caught or even worse KILLED somoeone then jail was the place for me

 

[Donske]

I think we are far too lenient in Australia, none of this 3rd strike you get an interlock bull shit, 3rd strike you should be going to bloody jail for 12 months, period, it's the one thing I could handle mandatory sentencing on.

 

[Clutch]

First strike over .150 is interlock, as is fail to give breath sample, or two DUI in 5 years, both after 6/8/10.

 

[DU99]

there is reason people get interlock's..they are repeat offender's..we are slack with our sentencing,how many times do we hear of people that are driving and they have been fined numerous time's and they think's its a joke..bit more of jail time or weekend's in the cooler

 

[meathead]

Would you advocate 00 for all?

 

[nu_brew]

I used to work with a guy who had been DUIed a few times and was look at a possible jail sentence.

The boss hooked him up with a good lawyer and he got off lightly (again!).

6months later he wrapped his car around a pole and now needs people to feed him and wipe his arse.

Maybe jail might have helped, maybe not, but I don't want to share the road with people like that.

 

[MartinOC]

Would you advocate 00 for all?

In an ideal situation, yes. But in all practicality, how would/could it be Policed? Also, rather punitive for someone who has had a single, sociable beer after work & then goes home & gets pulled over.

 

[Cocko]

Honest opinion.

Go 00 - It is the worst of actions.. Driving a car is dangerous enough with out adding alcohol to the equation.

I got done for .008 when I was 23, now 36 - and I still shudder at the things I could have done in that head state.

Punish, Punish and Punish harder IMHO.. ****, youth will be youth and being drunk and the false sense of security is the problem....

Parents need to teach the value of life.

I now have my own personal breatho I use in the case of morning after.... If you are gonna drink it is part of the equation.

There is enough transport options and knowledge in our modern day living to avoid the loss of life.

Or whatever - 4.6c

 

[Liam_snorkel]

I think the laws are about right.

 

[Cocko]

I think the laws are about right.

I agree, but the punishment is not.

Especially for repeat offenders... IMO.


I drive better drunk.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

For myself and the other people I know the punishments were about right. There are however always going to be people who don't think of the consequences of their actions at all, imposed or otherwise.

 

[Donske]

Honest opinion.

Go 00 - It is the worst of actions.. Driving a car is dangerous enough with out adding alcohol to the equation.

I got done for .008 when I was 23, now 36 - and I still shudder at the things I could have done in that head state.

Punish, Punish and Punish harder IMHO.. ****, youth will be youth and being drunk and the false sense of security is the problem....

Parents need to teach the value of life.

I now have my own personal breatho I use in the case of morning after.... If you are gonna drink it is part of the equation.

There is enough transport options and knowledge in our modern day living to avoid the loss of life.

Or whatever - 4.6c

Weirdly with my view on drink driver I disagree with a .00 limit, I think .05 is pretty much dead on.

Owning a good quality Andatech personal breatho myself I know just how little it takes to hit that mark and how bloody long it takes to drop below it, I also know how quickly the effects I personally feel ramp up from .05 to .08 and above. Realistically no one mistakenly drives above .05, you bloody well know when it's sketchy, and if in any doubt don't ******* drive, it's pretty simple.

 

[Cocko]

For myself and the other people I know the punishments were about right. There are however always going to be people who don't think of the consequences of their actions at all, imposed or otherwise.

And with me, as I said, I have been done and have learned from it, thank fully the rules allowed it.

But, I know for a fact that there are repeat offenders who get let off over and over again.. what about them? How do you curb their behaviour?

I dont know, I just think it should be a higher priority in the 'learning' period of driving.

Fark this, I am gonna pour a black wit and loose my self in some floor swimming!


EDIT: REPEAT OFFENDERS!! - Tis my point.

 

[Dave70]

I got pinched On a Saturday 2.30 am when I was 23.
At an intersection in the middle of nowhere.
On a KDX 250.
No helmet.
Mate on the back (his arm was in a sling) - also helmetless.
Goon bag wedged between us.
Blew 0.192.
Fortunately, they didin't take swabs it those days.

That is a true story.

Unbelievably recless and selfish when I look back, but where we lived in the semi rural Hawkesbury, thats just what we did, nobody seemed to give a ****.
It was literally one corner then a 5k straight run to the pub from my folks house. It was never like ' oh goody, we're pissed, lets go fo a drive'. You run low on beer, got sick of some shitty party, off you went.
It wasn't like your mates just lived around the corner.

I aggree 0.05 is a happy medium. Its like anything. Raise the speed limit to 120, everyone wants to drive 140. Raise the limit to .08, most will take the punt with four or five schooners in their guts.
If I'm honest, I'd rather have a mineral water at the pub with a meal than one and a half beers. What's the ******* point? And with a wife and kids in the car with me 90% of the time, thats generally what happens.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

My mrs got done at 0.052 (picking me up from a night out) and she is the most risk-averse person I know. There is no way she would get behind the wheel if she thought she was even close to being over. Got a fine and a suspension, and now will not drive even after one wine hours before.
Having Said all that, I think 0.05 is about right because its enough to catch you out after having a couple and well before you're actual intoxicated. Above 0.08 the suspension is immediate and penalties much harsher because you're legally defined as intoxicated, and to paraphrase Donske when you're 0.08 you know you're under the effect and should definitely not get behind the wheel.

 

[Cocko]

You live, you learn I guess...

 

[Camo6]

I had a few close calls as a younger bloke driving when I damn well shouldn't have been. Never got caught or hurt myself or anyone so I guess I never really woke up to myself. Now after a couple of kids there's no way I'd chance a DUI. Not only do I appreciate how vital my licence is to paying my mortgage and feeding the family but I now know how important it is to keep dickheads off the roads for the safety of others. Anyhoo, will post more when I'm not using the phone as this traffics shit, it's starting to rain and the oxycontin's coming on strong.