Don't Drink And Drive!

[highflyer]

Hey everyone, just a reminder: DRINKING AND DRIVING KILLS.
A friend of mine died just two days before Christmas when she was in a drunk driving accident with two of her friends, who are still fighting for their lives. I just found out this week - it was a real wake up call for me, even though I don't drink. I didn't think that she would ever choose to get in a car drunk - I wish I had been there to stop her. So save yourself and the lives of others - don't drink and drive. If you've lost someone to a DUI accident, post your story - it might just have an impact on the right person.

[JMILLS]

When I was in high school my friend and I always rode out bike to the beach for exercise. One day I had to work so he rode by himself and was hit by a drunk driver and was killed instantly. The woman driving the truck was caught 4 hours later with a smashed in truck, and a .09 Blood-Alcohol Level. She said she thought she hit a deer. She hit him at 10AM, I can't believe some people and their total disregard for their lives and others.

[Black99GT3]

damn, i'm sorry to hear that :(

In Ohio they're going to start to give orange license plates to first-time DUI offenders, so hopefully that might help something in someway..

Sorry again to hear of your loss

[Big Joe]

sorry you guys ......

[Jordon'sGrandAm]

that sucks, sorry to hear that.:(

[2002GT]

Sorry to hear...

offtopic- but where in South Carolina do you live?

[matts]

sorry to hear that. i drink sometimes, but i NEVER drive while doing so and get really pissed off when friends do so

[highflyer]

2002GT - I'm in Aiken. nice ride...

[HighwayProwlerz]

A high-school collegue of mine died in a drunk driver accident one night several months after graduating high school when a drunk driver came through a red light at an intersection and T-boned her and spun her car into a gas tank at the corner gas station. Her picture was all over the city for months reminding people not to drink and drive..... I know I don't!!

[Entombed GT]

Originally posted by Black99GT3
In Ohio they're going to start to give orange license plates to first-time DUI offenders

Sorry...I've gotta rant... :D

I don't condone drunk driving, but that's ridiculous...

I could understand that for a second offense or for first time offenders who injure or kill someone (And somehow manage to get their license back). But, most of the first-time offenders are people who merely made a mistake, realize they made a mistake, and will never make that same mistake again. The whole humiliating and degrading process of dealing with the DUI charge usually is enough to deter someone from doing that again.

Basically, it will further stigmatize first-time offenders who realize they screwed up and wished that the rest of the population (Of which, I'd say about 99% have driven impaired at one point or another) would allow them get on with their lives.

Sure, you've got your idiots who will continue to drive drunk. Paint their whole cars orange for all I care. But, I think for a first time offender you have to give them the bennefit of the doubt that they'll never do it again. Let them go through the system like everyone else has to and then let them live their lives after they've paid their due.

[matts]

^i agree with him.

but that reminded me. a while back AR started giving out plates and the 3 letters were "DWI". it was totally a fluke that they got through the system like that. i got one :P "059 DWI". anyways, people started freaking out and saying it was going to hurt their reputation. i thought they were overreacting a tad. i'm not gonna look at your license plate and instantly judge you bc the state messed up. stupid people.

[99GTam]

wow sorry to hear of your loss. prayers with the others. that is something that really get me riled up. so many people i know have had losses due to drunk driving. and it just shouldnt be happening.

[skyemaster83]

i learned my lesson in dec. of '02 while i was sitting in the holding cell waiting to be bailed out i started to think about if i had hit someone and they were killed or injured it really bothered me i dont think i could deal with something like that happening, i learned my lesson the first time, and also there were big fines involved, on top of losing my liscense for 30 days and insurance going up, its a real pain in the you know what, but the most important thing is that you or someone else could get hurt, just because you think you're "ok" to drive or you're "not drunk" doens't mean your drivivng isnt impaired

[highflyer]

thanks guys for all your responses. it's important to let people know that this could happen to THEM, and they can help prevent it.

[Snipe33]

Originally posted by Black99GT3
damn, i'm sorry to hear that :(

In Ohio they're going to start to give orange license plates to first-time DUI offenders, so hopefully that might help something in someway..


Cool idea! But do the offenders actually use those oramge plates? Have you seen many?

[MagusXIII]

Joab, this is a new idea in Ohio. I have not seen any such plates these days.

Black99GT3, did you read Bob Dyer's commentary in the beacon journal? OMG, what a whiner! Sounds to me he is scared HE will get such plates!

Entombed, I understand your points, but I do have to disagree. You see, there has been SO MUCH education and PSA's about drinking and driving. I see no reason to even put yourself in such a situation. I mean really, is there anything wrong with drinking pop rather than booze? Are your friends REALLY gonna laugh at you for not drinking alcohol? I just do not see any reason to even drive drunk! I am just beside myself as to WHY people wish to act like that? COnsider this simple analogy. You are told that a stove's burner is hot. You have received all sorts of education and PSA's about hot burners. In cooking class, you know that burners are hot. Yet...you still choose to put your hand on a hot burner. Simple, I know. But still, I just do not see why people even feel the need to put themselves in such a situation.

At work, an employee was recently fired for operating a forklift while intoxicated. I commend the Company for their actions. Forklifts weigh 2-3 times the weight of a Grand Am and they can burst through a cinderblock wall and keep going. The forks on them will puncture a 5/8" thick I-beam! Imagine what one of them can do upon colliding with a pedestrian on the floor? So...was that over the top? Was the Company too harsh on him? I say no.

[spike4881]

Originally posted by 2002GT
Sorry to hear...

offtopic- but where in South Carolina do you live?

Okay your avatar made me look...3 times!! That's rude AND funny at the same time!!!

[Entombed GT]

Originally posted by MagusXIII
Joab, this is a new idea in Ohio. I have not seen any such plates these days.

Black99GT3, did you read Bob Dyer's commentary in the beacon journal? OMG, what a whiner! Sounds to me he is scared HE will get such plates!

Entombed, I understand your points, but I do have to disagree. You see, there has been SO MUCH education and PSA's about drinking and driving. I see no reason to even put yourself in such a situation. I mean really, is there anything wrong with drinking pop rather than booze? Are your friends REALLY gonna laugh at you for not drinking alcohol? I just do not see any reason to even drive drunk! I am just beside myself as to WHY people wish to act like that? COnsider this simple analogy. You are told that a stove's burner is hot. You have received all sorts of education and PSA's about hot burners. In cooking class, you know that burners are hot. Yet...you still choose to put your hand on a hot burner. Simple, I know. But still, I just do not see why people even feel the need to put themselves in such a situation.

At work, an employee was recently fired for operating a forklift while intoxicated. I commend the Company for their actions. Forklifts weigh 2-3 times the weight of a Grand Am and they can burst through a cinderblock wall and keep going. The forks on them will puncture a 5/8" thick I-beam! Imagine what one of them can do upon colliding with a pedestrian on the floor? So...was that over the top? Was the Company too harsh on him? I say no.

I completely agree with what you have to say. Everyone knows it's a stupid thing to do. Yet a lot of people are getting busted with BAC's just barely above the legal limit. I used to think nothing of having 3 or 4 beers over a 2-3 hour period and getting behind the wheel of a car (I now think and know better). I felt fine and I certainly wasn't feeling "intoxicated." Yet, I could have been pulled over and gotten busted for driving impaired when it comes down to the law's brass tacks.

A lot of people don't realize that it takes only a little bit more than a little bit to render you a hazard to other drivers. I certainly think that someone, truly wishing to learn from what they've done, after getting arrested and put through the paces for misjudging the amount they've had to drink will definitely call a cab the next time they're out and have any questionable amount of alcohol. The need to have them put orange specialty plates on their car doesn't do anything except give a healthy dose of contempt for authority to people who have otherwise learned that it isn't such agreat idea to get behind the wheel after they've consumed alcohol.