Should law enforcement focus on reckless driving or the alcohol content of the driver? Grits for Breakfast comments on the recent DWI laws and whether or not they should changed based on statistical analysis. This blog entry cites another article, in which Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo presents substantial information on the fallacies of the current systematic procedures for evaluating drunk drivers. He testifies that drivers with a lower BAC were more likely to cause more fatal accidents than those with a BAC .08 to .10. Also, he states that people that use cell phones when they drive have the same impairment as people with the BAC of .08. He correlates between the increase of traffic related fatalities and the .08 alcohol law in 2000, and states how roadblocks are a waste of time trying to catch the destructive drunk drivers. This blog entry targets the people that have been affected by DWI laws and people who want to promote a more efficient way of determining the DWI laws.
In my opinion, I don’t think people should be automatically punished for driving over the BAC unless they are driving erratically and destructive. The Police department should implement a more lenient evaluation of the BAC itself, and focus more on the capabilities of the driver and their way of maintaining normal driver behavior. I think the current system is a trap for young adults that are drawn into the alcohol culture because the police know that more times than not that young adults aren’t going to drink just one drink at a bar or drinking establishment. I don’t agree with excessive drinking and driving, but I do think that DWI’s have hindered many young and old people’s lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment