It's surprising that there are still this many stupid people doing stupid things with their vehicles.

Right Ruez. Lots of folks still driving around talking on their cells, too. Gives the cops a "teachable moment".

The reason that there are still this many stupid people doing stupid things with their vehicles is because we still have stupid laws.

OUR LAWS ARE NOT TOUGH ENOUGH!


Nuff said!!!

I agree that the penalties are not stiff enough.
How about...
you get caught you loose your vehicle...
you drive suspended...you loose the vehicle...
so what if it isn't yours it is gone....
that will stop people from lending their vehicles to these numb skulls.
second time you go to jail... 1 year...
third time see you in 30 years...
boy I want to be a judge for just one day.....

I'm in full agreement that there are lots of stupid people out there. But living in a police state where any cop could take your vehicle for a minor infraction is not appealing either. Maybe people should spend 30 days in jail for spitting or jaywalking?

There has to be a balance.

I agree if and only IF there is a trial that you can go to and defend yourself. Summary justice on the side of the road isn't what anyone wants for our Country.

We still have rights here in this Country and our right to defend ourselves in open court is one of the best.

People will complain that it would tie up our courts with useless cases and whatnot but it is the system that we have in place right now.

oh come on who hasn't driven while drunk in their life. its a human condition and always will be.

for those that still text and talk on their their hand helds, perhaps taking away their cell phone privileges would be a worse punishment than losing their license to drive.

I dont think taking away your car for a minor infraction is on the table. HOWEVER, driving drunk is not really a minor infraction is it? Also, stiff penalties do not equal a police state. While it may be true that a lot of us have driven under the influence it is also true that a lot of us (not necessarily 250 guys) have killed and maimed folks while drunk driving. It isnt a supportable right by any means. I would encourage you all to lok up the stats regarding how many people are caught driving while suspended. When people flaut the law (as we do drunk driving/suspension laws) it is due to: penalties which lack the severity to be a deterrant and/or a very low chance of being caught.
There is a locak of enforcement and punishment in our justice system. Sure, prevention is a good idea, but I think warning the public every time they are going to crack down on drunk driving is a little too much of one and not enough of the other. I went through that road block. You really had to be drunk or inattentive to get caught up in it at all. It was pretty obvious.

Caranmacil, I think you have hit the nail on the head, on your comment.

Obviously the penalties and chance of getting caught to not outweigh the rewards of committing crime, otherwise people would not do it.

We either need to increase the chance or getting caught, or increase punishments.

As a side note, after a successful execution of capital punishment, chance or recommitting are zero percent.

minor?
drunk driving is minor?
not in my world it isn't.
Police state? no don't want that either...
but there has to be something a lot more severe for a punishment that is being dealt out now!.
Having vehicle confiscated might, repeat might be a little severe...
or is it really????
so lets say first strike you go to jail and lose your licence for 5 years and second time we take the vehicle?

lets bring back the lash.

Not that bad an idea...maybe as an elective punishment.