[bassmaner]

Oh, can the DUI hysterics. 1.6 million people are arrested annually in the U.S. for DUI. With the 0.08 BAC laws, this is bound to increase, and ruin the lives of a large number of social drinkers who pose no threat to other drivers. Many serve mandatory minimum prison sentences, lose jobs because of transportation problems, and are bankrupted by fines and lawyer's fees - and it often stems from a conviction for a crime of being less impaired than the average cell phone user, or a mother with an unruly child.

This is not to condone real drunken drivers -- at BAC 0.14 and above, the level of fatalities in alcohol-related crashes jumps dramatically. We don't need to become a police state to catch those guys - better police work and more awareness will do just fine. 0.08 BAC laws are simply a precursor to MADD's real agenda: VIRTUAL PROHIBITION.

[Hildy]

Here's what I don't understand...if you can't drive after having something like one beer, why on Earth are bars still open? I mean, couldn't cops just sit outside of the neighborhood bar and arrest everyone as they get into their car?

[Conspiracy Guy]

Bingo dude.

[-YYZ-]

Oh, you're just soft on DUI drivers. You probably drink and drive all the time yourself. Baby killer! I agree with you. While those who cause accidents due to DUI, or any other sort of negligence, shoud be punished fairly severely, ruining someone for having a BAC over .08 seems unnecessarily harsh to me. Especially on a first offense. Inveterate drunk drivers who have repeated citations for DUI, drive while suspended, and/or are responsible for accidents should be jailed. Also, to automatically assume that any driver who is DUI and in an accident is responsible for the accident goes against the traditions of our legal system. Just for example, if I'm drunk and someone rear ends me and kills himself in the process, it would clearly be unfair to charge me with his death.

[babygene]

I agree with you. I used to drink (don't any more).

A person's ability to handle alcohol varies widely. For that matter, an alcoholic usually develops a tolerance to alcohol and a .8 blood level would have almost no effect on them.

Someone who does not drink however, may not be able to walk, much less drive with a .8 blood level. The level of alcohol in the blood is not what they should be testing. It says very little about the condition of the individual.