How to educate others on the privilege of driving?

1. 78

   American_Choicesposted 13 years ago

   Drunk driving has killed millions.  Have you lost a friend or loved one to drunk driving.
   
   And it is remains a problem.  How can we forever change the paradigm that drugs and alcohol destroy lives and drunk driving DOES kill.
   
   Princess Diana might be alive today IF it weren't for the intoxication of her driver.  Dodi's father calls it not drunk driving but murder - what are your thoughts? 
   
   What does your country do that you admire in regards to combating drunk driving - what can the US do to combat this senseless murder?

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2. 71

   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   Better question- Why is driving considered a privilege?

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   1. 59

      Glenn Raymondposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Cagsil has a point.
      
      You both ask excellent questions.  Personally, I do not think we have tough enough DUI laws here in the USA.  It takes a lot of tragedy to change them as well.  So both of those need to be worked on.
      
      I would consider driving a privilege in that, automobiles require skill, common sense, common courtesy, and a personal code of honor to drive.
      
      I know people who have gotten DUI's and they deserved it.  In some cases their punishments were not strict enough.
      
      I also know someone who did not deserve what he got, because his accident was due to an illness that he did not know he had until then.
      
      So a lot has to be taken into account and considered before specific judgements are made.

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3. 68

   Michael Willisposted 13 years ago

   And when it comes to driving and injuries/deaths caused, why not include the carelessness of Texting, Speeding, Cell phones, eating, reading, make-up, etc.
   All of these can cause deaths from a reckless driver. It is easier to point at only one cause, but all of these can be just as dangerous.

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   1. 66

      Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Actually those cause way more deaths than drunk driving. It's beating a dead horse for a long time already. And I agree to Ray, driving should not be a privilege.

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      1. 68

         Michael Willisposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         What I dislike in Arkansas is how that Texting and driving is just a slap on the wrist fine, I think it is about $25. There have been numerous accidents and death involving texting. Many have pushed for stronger laws on this, but it never gets pushed through in our State Congress.
         
         Edit: And Texting law is not enforced. I have seen cops drive past people texting and do nothing. I even went by a cop driving and he was on his hand held cell phone, which is another violation.

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         1. 66

            Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I think this is because it's hard to prove in the court that the driver was texting, in most cases it is the driver word against the officer word. And DUI can be more or less scientifically proven, and well as speed limit break. That's why the government mostly is after those violations, even though they are not the major causes of accidents and deaths.

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      2. 62

         WoodsmensPostposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         What Misha? Its not a privilege? Then what is it? Or are your speaking of Mad Max scenraio where there is no law? Please explain your point of view.

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         1. 66

            Mishaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I think I said it in plain English. I do not think driving should be a privilege. What is unclear about it?

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   2. 64

      Lisa HWposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Normally, I'm not a big one for making "all kinds of laws", but when it comes to all the things you mentioned (texting, etc.) and especially, drinking and/or speeding; I don't have a shred of sympathy for anyone who risks the lives of others by doing any of these things.
      
      In answer to the OP's question, yes.  It was a long time ago, but I was a passenger in a car that was hit by a drunk, 70 mph, driver.  I don't know why I'm alive today, because my girlfriend, whose arm was about a foot away from mine, was killed.   There have been two other people I know (but wasn't close to) who were in such accidents too.
      
      Nobody ever thinks "it could happen to me" unless/until it does; and that's why young people, immature adults, and drunks tend to think there's no reason not to drive drunk, to speed, or to do things like text and drive at the same time.  I think their thinking is that people "do it all the time, and nothing happens".  That's true.  That's why may make is so hard to believe that people can be killed.  The point isn't that there are times people do these things and "nothing happens".  The point is that even taking the chance and increasing the risk to someone else on the road is disgusting.
      
      I set up a (sort of) blog, just for the purpose of telling my own story, in the hopes of making it very real to someone somewhere (without it being gruesome or the "usual" memorial-type thing for a victim).  I don't fool myself into thinking anyone's going to be impacted by it.  They'll just think, "Oh, that's a sad story - but that's you, and I'm me.   I'm not you."   

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4. 62

   WoodsmensPostposted 13 years ago

   Driving is a privilege if you don't believe it then lose your drivers licence once and you might consider that it was a privilege..
   
   *** Have I lost a friend or family to DUI... yes a couple actually tragically.
   
   New York has implemented some of tougher laws that is working to solve the problems in NY, United States. One in particular is Leandra's law. The Child Passenger Protection Act(look it up)
   
   Up until a few years ago the drinking age was 18-- in NY so drinking and driving went hand and foot for those that drank, especially if it was handed down from generations previously.
   
   Those who drink but don't drive hands down.
   
   Those who still do I have a suggestion :
   
   Put a set of handcuffs on the rear view mirror, when you enter the car drunk, put them on and call the police cuz thats whats gonna happen!!!!!

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   1. 64

      Lisa HWposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Anybody on here want to be mind-boggled?   You know the post I just made above?  The young woman (27 years old) who killed my girlfriend (and injured me) was fined $15 or $20 (I forget right now) and lost her license for one year.  That was in Massachusetts.
      
      Now, here's the mind-boggling part:
      
      When I left my marriage there were a lot of lies and and was a big, messy, custody, case.  I was ordered out of my house, so I had no place to live.  I was also ordered (by a Massachusetts court) to pick up my children from school each day in the car that I was kind of living in (although I'd stay on my mother's couch if it was too cold overnight to stay in the car between 11 and 7).    I was left with no money, and car needed a tail light in order to pass an upcoming inspection.  I kept asking the lawyer to get me money to get the tail light.  I was ignored.  So, keep in mind that I would have been in contempt of court had I not followed the court order.  Besides, at the time, I believed the court had failed to protect my children and me; and I kind of figured I had a right to do for them what the court would not.  Anyway...
      
      Local police turned their heads quite a bit, I think; but eventually, one day when I had the kids after school (and no choice but to use the car), I got a ticket.  Then I got another one.  One night I drove to the next town over to get my older son's asthma medicine, and I got a third ticket.  I kept asking the lawyer to do something about the ticket (or get me money to pay the fines).  I was ignored (as I was ignored by one person or another for several years to follow, in my attempts to straight up the snowballing fees).  The "goal posts" kept getting moved with regard to what it would take to get the license.    There have been times when I've been afraid to hand over the massive fees that built up, because I'm afraid the goalposts will be moved after I hand over a huge chunk of money to the state that I'm not too thrilled with in the first place.
      
      I was not able to renew my driver's license (after more than 20 years of a perfect driving record) in April 1993.  I still don't have one.  This, too, is in Massachusetts.   As a result, I live under what's kind of like "modified house arrest" in a lot of ways; and I work from home (most of the time) at a tiny fraction of what I would have been earning over all these years.  I live with a double-whammy kind of anger at the way things are done in the court system; and while the accident anger has died down, the license anger hasn't. 
      
      (Gee, I could have gotten drunk, driven at 70 mph, killed someone, showed no remorse, and only lost my license for a year!   Anybody want to know why so few people take laws and loss of license very seriously?)

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