Is there *ANY* evidence out there that lowering this limit across the board will make a significant difference in alcohol related accidents? I don't know one way or the other.... As with any law, you have to balance the benefits of the law with the consequences. In this case the negative consequences are that some 'innocent' (in other words, people who are not impaired) drivers will get nailed. The positive (fewer alcohol related traffic deaths) has to balance out.... If indeed lives are saved with this law, there is no question that the benefits outweigh the costs. The question is, do we know that lowering the rate has a significant impact on accident rates? I don't have my mind made up one way or the other on this law, it depends on whether it really has the effect on alcohol related accidents that it's proponents tout.
MrsSkyWalker:<<All the bawl babies out there: SHUT THE HELL UP!!>>
Sounds very mature for a mother of four... someone disagrees with your point of view, and they need to "shut the hell up". Very bright..... You just lost all credibility right there, dolt.
<<In NH, a group of people actually tried to challenge the state constitutionality of allowing police to set up sobriety check points without disclosing the locations to the press. They called it "entrapment" and wanted police to disclose the locations to allow those who wanted to avoid the check points to plan an alternate route. Give me a break.>>
First, get off your high horse. I know at least three states where people challenged this exact same thing and the courts AGREED that indeed it was entrapment. In Ohio for example, the cops have to post a notice in the newspaper a week before they put up designated 'check points'.
Rahvin: I just randomly picked those cases because they illustrate the court's recent tendency towards siding with state rights on many issues. They don't specifically address this issue. Think about it, if the fed can use federal funds as 'punishment' for non-compliance with their 'suggestions', what's to prevent them from make ANY demand from a state in return for federal monies?? So if the fed says all states now need to make the legal drinking age 35, otherwise you lose all federal funding -- that's ok?? Nope, that's simply a way around the constitutional limits on the authority of the federal gov.
<<Since doing this, the number of arrests for DUI has significacantly increased, while deaths by drunk drivers have decreased. So, lower limit + strict penalties + strict enforcement = less murderers on the streets = less deaths>>
I'm glad you're not a researcher. I'm sure stricter enforcement of the laws does make the roads safer. That's not in question. The question is, does lowering the rate from .1 to .08 have a significant impact? You have to isolate causal factors to be able to study them.
This issue is a lot like the gun control debate. The theory is that more gun laws will have a real influence in the reduction of gun crime. If that is so, then by all means, add more laws. However, since it hasn't been shown to be true at all (states with more strict gun laws don't have less violent crime), simply adding more gun laws and restrictions is not the answer (criminals get the guns anyway). Strongly enforcing existing laws is.