B.C.'s new drunk driving laws declared unconstitutional

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by slivers86

wow... I dont know what else to say. Congratulations drunk drivers of bc, I hope you hit light poles, trees, brick walls, and other non-human/animal objects and destroy your lives.

Ya see where this has went? Now people that are below .08 BAC are considered drunk drivers by some. Oh boy.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Skykevin

Im a 19 year old whos been caught drunk driving 1 year ago pretty much when they started enforcing the drunk driving laws. yes it was stupid now to the point.

in order for me to get my license back i have to pay a 500 dollar fine, take a 8-16 hour long course that costs 880! thats 110 dollars an hour for a course on how to not drive drunk, and heres the best bit of all.
YOU HAVE to have a breathalyzer installed on a vehicle. this is basically a thing you blow into AS your driving every 15-30 minutes. lets look at the costs of this. The breathalyzer is about 1000 dollars to install. YOU HAVE to be driving that vehicle which means paying for insurance. YOU HAVE to drive during the months which means you cant just park it somewhere if you dont buy gas and drive the car in circles you will have months added onto the time you need the breathalyzer. YOU HAVE to have the breathalyzer "checked" every 2 months meaning you pay for it to basically be looked at by someone to make sure you weren't trying to drive drunk.

overall the drinking and driving law is complete ****. Im a college student that cant afford this bull****. Ive learned my lesson obviously but what people dont realize is now if my friends want to drive themselves home drunk I CANT EVEN DRIVE THEM HOME WHEN IM SOBER. Im locked out of driving and even preventing my friends from drinking and driving until ive eventually graduated college and come up with the money to afford my own vehicle.

so to all you people saying the drunk drivers should be hit harder they should be hit harder for their 2nd and 3rd time because one mistake shouldnt ruin their lives.

It shouldnt be a blood alchohol level thats measured for drinking and driving it should be a cognitive test to determine if someone is fit to drive. By these standards its just giving police biological bull**** evidence to hide behind.

You should have figured all that crap out before you got caught drinking and driving.

Now, maybe you should look at how that move has and will impact you fro the rest of your life.
I suggest you deal with and quit complaining about it.

Cat

[eastcoast]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Ya see where this has went? Now people that are below .08 BAC are considered drunk drivers by some. Oh boy.

and that`s how it happens.

[BGSH]

Please do not hate me, i had half a beer and i drove to the store and back again.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

It just makes no difference

If the penalty for drinking and driving was death, we would be hanging people

Some people just dont think and/or care. Cant change that.

Exactly.
The law does nothing to prevent drinking and driving or deaths.

If there was more emphasis placed on enforcement of the current/previous laws and changing peoples attitudes towards alcohol the deterrent effect would make .08 more effective than it is.

Stop checks... and routine traffic stops...lots of em... the best investment towards curbing drinking and driving there ever was.

Bottom line is that it is relatively cheap to slap together a new law or increase penalties to create the appearance that you are doing something.

It costs a lot more to actually do something like train, hire and fund police so that they can make existing laws more effective through detection and enforcement.

It's just more lip service to a real problem designed to calm the masses and convince everyone that they are doing their part.
When the problem continues.... they can sit back and say they did their part.

Then... they'll claim that more policing is needed but since training and equipping police falls to city and federal government...they will need to form a study group...hold an enquiry and eventually make a half hearted effort to secure funds for more police.... as long as it doesn't come out of their piggy bank.

[Big Daddy Badger]

Originally Posted by Skykevin

Im a 19 year old whos been caught drunk driving 1 year ago pretty much when they started enforcing the drunk driving laws. yes it was stupid now to the point.

in order for me to get my license back i have to pay a 500 dollar fine, take a 8-16 hour long course that costs 880! thats 110 dollars an hour for a course on how to not drive drunk, and heres the best bit of all.
YOU HAVE to have a breathalyzer installed on a vehicle. this is basically a thing you blow into AS your driving every 15-30 minutes. lets look at the costs of this. The breathalyzer is about 1000 dollars to install. YOU HAVE to be driving that vehicle which means paying for insurance. YOU HAVE to drive during the months which means you cant just park it somewhere if you dont buy gas and drive the car in circles you will have months added onto the time you need the breathalyzer. YOU HAVE to have the breathalyzer "checked" every 2 months meaning you pay for it to basically be looked at by someone to make sure you weren't trying to drive drunk.

overall the drinking and driving law is complete ****. Im a college student that cant afford this bull****. Ive learned my lesson obviously but what people dont realize is now if my friends want to drive themselves home drunk I CANT EVEN DRIVE THEM HOME WHEN IM SOBER. Im locked out of driving and even preventing my friends from drinking and driving until ive eventually graduated college and come up with the money to afford my own vehicle.

so to all you people saying the drunk drivers should be hit harder they should be hit harder for their 2nd and 3rd time because one mistake shouldnt ruin their lives.

It shouldnt be a blood alchohol level thats measured for drinking and driving it should be a cognitive test to determine if someone is fit to drive. By these standards its just giving police biological bull**** evidence to hide behind.

For a college boy... you sure aren't very switched on ... are you?

Welcome to the real world son.
Not everything you do here gets a re-write and a note from Mum gets you squat.

You can choose to do whatever you want to do in this world...
As long as you are prepared to accept the consequences for your actions.

There.
Thats it.
All you really need to know to start being an adult.

It's called life and being a man and it's time for you to get on with it and own your mistakes instead of bleating like some wet whelp.

You made a decision to drink and drive... got caught and now like so many of your generation seem to be un-willing or unable to accept responsibility for your actions.

You are thankfully the only a victim of your own poor choices and you can thank people like yourself that have decided to drink and drive for the severity of your punishment.

The only real tragedy I see is that yet another set of parents have failed to instill a true sense of responsibility in... or adequately prepare their child for the rigors of real life.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Skykevin

Im a 19 year old whos been caught drunk driving 1 year ago.............. Im a college student that cant afford this bull****

If you can't do the time then don't do the crime.

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by BGSH

Please do not hate me, i had half a beer and i drove to the store and back again.

According to quite a few people on here, any amount of alcohol in your system makes you a drunk. You bad! How many people did you kill on your accident spree tonight?

[slivers86]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Ya see where this has went? Now people that are below .08 BAC are considered drunk drivers by some. Oh boy.

Eh, not drunk, unless they hit a car full of your family members and wait/delay as much as possible, and blow .079 and are no longer impaired, therefore get a 24hr suspension and a ticket for crossing the center line, oh justice... why aren't these laws federal, rather than provincial...

[elkhunter11]

Eh, not drunk, unless they hit a car full of your family members and wait/delay as much as possible, and blow .079 and are no longer impaired,

Do you not believe that .08 was chosen for a reason, perhaps because normal people are quite capable of driving safely at that level.

[BGSH]

Originally Posted by Scott N

According to quite a few people on here, any amount of alcohol in your system makes you a drunk. You bad! How many people did you kill on your accident spree tonight?

thank goodness, i think i drove better then some of these sober losers out there, that cannot see over there windshield that never clean there ice off the windows before they leave there house

[Faststeel]

Originally Posted by Skykevin

Im a 19 year old whos been caught drunk driving 1 year ago pretty much when they started enforcing the drunk driving laws. yes it was stupid now to the point.

in order for me to get my license back i have to pay a 500 dollar fine, take a 8-16 hour long course that costs 880! thats 110 dollars an hour for a course on how to not drive drunk, and heres the best bit of all.
YOU HAVE to have a breathalyzer installed on a vehicle. this is basically a thing you blow into AS your driving every 15-30 minutes. lets look at the costs of this. The breathalyzer is about 1000 dollars to install. YOU HAVE to be driving that vehicle which means paying for insurance. YOU HAVE to drive during the months which means you cant just park it somewhere if you dont buy gas and drive the car in circles you will have months added onto the time you need the breathalyzer. YOU HAVE to have the breathalyzer "checked" every 2 months meaning you pay for it to basically be looked at by someone to make sure you weren't trying to drive drunk.

overall the drinking and driving law is complete ****. Im a college student that cant afford this bull****. Ive learned my lesson obviously but what people dont realize is now if my friends want to drive themselves home drunk I CANT EVEN DRIVE THEM HOME WHEN IM SOBER. Im locked out of driving and even preventing my friends from drinking and driving until ive eventually graduated college and come up with the money to afford my own vehicle.

so to all you people saying the drunk drivers should be hit harder they should be hit harder for their 2nd and 3rd time because one mistake shouldnt ruin their lives.

It shouldnt be a blood alchohol level thats measured for drinking and driving it should be a cognitive test to determine if someone is fit to drive. By these standards its just giving police biological bull**** evidence to hide behind.

SK

I'm interested to know just how hammered you were when you got caught, what did you blow? FS

[hillbillyreefer]

Originally Posted by Element

I'm going to repost a comment I posted on a previous thread about this. Hopefully it starts to click for a few of you. I'm headed down to Texas on Saturday as the trial starts on Monday for the drunk driver that killed my mother. It's going to be painful to have to re-live this event all over again.
--------
Imagine... It's Thanksgiving evening, you're relaxing with your wife after a nice big turkey dinner, all is good in the world and you suddenly get a phone call from a trauma surgeon explaining that your mother has been killed and your father is barely hanging on to life due to a car accident. The next phone call is from the police explaining that a drunk driver may have caused the accident.

This was my 2010 Thanksgiving and I lost my mom in this accident and thankfully my father has made a full recovery. The accident occurred in Houston, TX and it was a 23 year old that hit them head on who had been drinking. Until you've lived it and fully understand the consequences of drinking and driving, I think it's difficult for many of you to have the full perspective of the impact that this has on families around our great province.

I know many of you like to have that one/two beer and it has little impact on your ability to drive, but you must understand that this is not the case with everyone.

Would you be willing to sacrifice your one beer after that round of golf with a client or dinner with friends to save your mother, wife, daughter, son from that one driver who assumed they were also okay to drive with only one or two drinks in their system?

I'm in favor of new legislation.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Could you please explain how punishing people who are not drunk is going to keep drunks off the road. This is feel good, do nothing legislation.

[hillbillyreefer]

Originally Posted by Skykevin

Im a 19 year old whos been caught drunk driving 1 year ago pretty much when they started enforcing the drunk driving laws. yes it was stupid now to the point.

in order for me to get my license back i have to pay a 500 dollar fine, take a 8-16 hour long course that costs 880! thats 110 dollars an hour for a course on how to not drive drunk, and heres the best bit of all.
YOU HAVE to have a breathalyzer installed on a vehicle. this is basically a thing you blow into AS your driving every 15-30 minutes. lets look at the costs of this. The breathalyzer is about 1000 dollars to install. YOU HAVE to be driving that vehicle which means paying for insurance. YOU HAVE to drive during the months which means you cant just park it somewhere if you dont buy gas and drive the car in circles you will have months added onto the time you need the breathalyzer. YOU HAVE to have the breathalyzer "checked" every 2 months meaning you pay for it to basically be looked at by someone to make sure you weren't trying to drive drunk.

overall the drinking and driving law is complete ****. Im a college student that cant afford this bull****. Ive learned my lesson obviously but what people dont realize is now if my friends want to drive themselves home drunk I CANT EVEN DRIVE THEM HOME WHEN IM SOBER. Im locked out of driving and even preventing my friends from drinking and driving until ive eventually graduated college and come up with the money to afford my own vehicle.

so to all you people saying the drunk drivers should be hit harder they should be hit harder for their 2nd and 3rd time because one mistake shouldnt ruin their lives.

It shouldnt be a blood alchohol level thats measured for drinking and driving it should be a cognitive test to determine if someone is fit to drive. By these standards its just giving police biological bull**** evidence to hide behind.

You admit you broke the law, you were convicted, now pay the price. Sympathy is found between ***** and syphilis in the dictionary.

[grunger]

Originally Posted by Skykevin

so to all you people saying the drunk drivers should be hit harder they should be hit harder for their 2nd and 3rd time because one mistake shouldnt ruin their lives.

There should never be a 2nd or 3rd time. Make the penalty for the 1st impaired driving offence so stiff that people will not want to do it again.

I would rather see stiff drunk driving penalties ruin the life of the drunk offender than have the drunk offender behind the wheel to ruin the lives of innocent victims.

The way you whine like you are a victim makes me think you haven't learned anything.

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by Skykevin

if my friends want to drive themselves home drunk I CANT EVEN DRIVE THEM HOME WHEN IM SOBER.

Find better friends. College does not mean alcohol is mandatory. You are not their keeper, thankfully.

[IR_mike]

Originally Posted by grunger

There should never be a 2nd or 3rd time. Make the penalty for the 1st impaired driving offence so stiff that people will not want to do it again.
I would rather see stiff drunk driving penalties ruin the life of the drunk offender than have the drunk offender behind the wheel to ruin the lives of innocent victims.

The way you whine like you are a victim makes me think you haven't learned anything.

As posted before we could hang them which would eliminate repeat offenders but would not eliminate first time offenders.

[spaded]

Driving is a privilege and not a right, seems like some of you think you have every right to do what you want and when you want.
I am in favor of the lower limit, and more enforcement.

Bottom line is don't drink and drive, you want to have 2 beers at supper because you have the right. Go right ahead I hope you drive right into a checkstop and lose your driving privilege for the year....
drunk or not that is bull****. Seems like a simple solution don't drink and drive.

[grunger]

Originally Posted by IR_mike

As posted before we could hang them which would eliminate repeat offenders but would not eliminate first time offenders.

Until the Minority Report becomes reality the only way to eliminate first time offenders is through education.
Make examples of those who break the law by driving drunk. Make it a hardship on their life so that they will not be eager to repeat offend.

[BeeGuy]

The BC law was not found to be unconstitutional, and it has been upheld.

One specific part has been found unconstitutional, and that is the ability to appeal.

Apparently the AB law is written slightly differently and hopes to avoid this.

Either way, if you have enough $$ and a good lawyer, it won't stick.

Unless of course you killed someone or caused an accident etc while impaired. In that case they should throw away the key.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by Skykevin

Im a 19 year old whos been caught drunk driving 1 year ago pretty much when they started enforcing the drunk driving laws. yes it was stupid now to the point.

in order for me to get my license back i have to pay a 500 dollar fine, take a 8-16 hour long course that costs 880! thats 110 dollars an hour for a course on how to not drive drunk, and heres the best bit of all.
YOU HAVE to have a breathalyzer installed on a vehicle. this is basically a thing you blow into AS your driving every 15-30 minutes. lets look at the costs of this. The breathalyzer is about 1000 dollars to install. YOU HAVE to be driving that vehicle which means paying for insurance. YOU HAVE to drive during the months which means you cant just park it somewhere if you dont buy gas and drive the car in circles you will have months added onto the time you need the breathalyzer. YOU HAVE to have the breathalyzer "checked" every 2 months meaning you pay for it to basically be looked at by someone to make sure you weren't trying to drive drunk.

overall the drinking and driving law is complete ****. Im a college student that cant afford this bull****. Ive learned my lesson obviously but what people dont realize is now if my friends want to drive themselves home drunk I CANT EVEN DRIVE THEM HOME WHEN IM SOBER. Im locked out of driving and even preventing my friends from drinking and driving until ive eventually graduated college and come up with the money to afford my own vehicle.

so to all you people saying the drunk drivers should be hit harder they should be hit harder for their 2nd and 3rd time because one mistake shouldnt ruin their lives.

It shouldnt be a blood alchohol level thats measured for drinking and driving it should be a cognitive test to determine if someone is fit to drive. By these standards its just giving police biological bull**** evidence to hide behind.

If you re-read your own post in about 5-10 years you would see the immaturity in your statements.

Society has put laws and consequences in place for protection of personal rights and value of life.

I wish the laws were much harsher than what you had. Maybe my friend in High School would not of been killed by a guy your age...that felt fine and drove right through a red light into her door.
You broke those laws and in your own mind probably went through all the levels of emotion one goes through when screwing up.

Denial, Regret, Anger, Stupid, Regretful, Self Pity, Nervousness, Blaming, Hatred, Terrified, Ashamed, Intimidated, Abandonment, Embarrassment, Disappointment, Acceptance....etc.

Sounds like you have gone over everything in your head...but on paper...you are not accepting of the consequences of your action.

When I was your age...I did not make the same mistake. I knew better. You took a chance and got caught. Accept that...don't do it again. You have NO ONE to blame but yourself.

You got off extremely lucky. Had you left yourself a parapalegic or killed a child or anyone for that matter, your life would definitely be over.

Show some maturity and own up to it in your own mind and make a concious choice not to drink and drive. Tell others of your mistakes and use that for healy and helping.

TAKE RESPONSIBITY...WITHOUT CAVEATS!

IMHO

Sun

[BeeGuy]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

If you re-read your own post in about 5-10 years you would see the immaturity in your statements.

Society has put laws and consequences in place for protection of personal rights and value of life.

I wish the laws were much harsher than what you had. Maybe my friend in High School would not of been killed by a guy your age...that felt fine and drove right through a red light into her door.
You broke those laws and in your own mind probably went through all the levels of emotion one goes through when screwing up.

Denial, Regret, Anger, Stupid, Regretful, Self Pity, Nervousness, Blaming, Hatred, Terrified, Ashamed, Intimidated, Abandonment, Embarrassment, Disappointment, Acceptance....etc.

Sounds like you have gone over everything in your head...but on paper...you are not accepting of the consequences of your action.

When I was your age...I did not make the same mistake. I knew better. You took a chance and got caught. Accept that...don't do it again. You have NO ONE to blame but yourself.

You got off extremely lucky. Had you left yourself a parapalegic or killed a child or anyone for that matter, your life would definitely be over.

Show some maturity and own up to it in your own mind and make a concious choice not to drink and drive. Tell others of your mistakes and use that for healy and helping.

TAKE RESPONSIBITY...WITHOUT CAVEATS!

IMHO

Sun

x2

wow. those are some ignorant and shameless comments skykevin. So, it might cost you $5k total?

Seems like the rest of us who are subjected to the hazards of drunk drivers are the ones getting ripped off at that rate.

Drunk drivers should have their names recited on TV and the Radio for a week. Public shaming for publicly shameful acts.

[chasingtail]

Lowering the legal BAC so low makes it risky to drink at anytime. For example you had 1 or 2 drinks at home and need to leave for some emergency. Half the volunteer fire fighters or sitting around 0.5 on any given night.

[BGSH]

The system is corrupt all around, my mom is a lawyer and tells me how corrupt people from police to the judge, good luck with anything on the drunk driving laws and any other laws for that matter.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by spaded

Driving is a privilege and not a right, seems like some of you think you have every right to do what you want and when you want.
I am in favor of the lower limit, and more enforcement.

Bottom line is don't drink and drive, you want to have 2 beers at supper because you have the right. Go right ahead I hope you drive right into a checkstop and lose your driving privilege for the year....
drunk or not that is bull****. Seems like a simple solution don't drink and drive.

What are you really against? Having a drink and then driving? Or being drunk or impaired and then driving? There's a difference

You want to make something illegal or further take away rights (having a drink) because it MIGHT lead to something else that would be illegal (being drunk while driving, causing an accident, etc). The answer is simple. Harshly punish those who abuse a right, not those who are responsible. There has been no evidence presented to show that .051 alcohol level causes fatal accidents.

[elkhunter11]

There has been no evidence presented to show that .051 alcohol level causes fatal accidents.

If the experts determined that there was,the allowable limit would be .05, instead of .08.

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

If the experts determined that there was,the allowable limit would be .05, instead of .08.

Exactly, and I'd support it.

[eastcoast]

Originally Posted by spaded

Driving is a privilege and not a right, seems like some of you think you have every right to do what you want and when you want.
I am in favor of the lower limit, and more enforcement.

Bottom line is don't drink and drive, you want to have 2 beers at supper because you have the right. Go right ahead I hope you drive right into a checkstop and lose your driving privilege for the year....
drunk or not that is bull****. Seems like a simple solution don't drink and drive.

absolutely but you want to know other rights?

section 8. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.

tell me how taking someone's vehicle without charging them with a crime is not seizure?

section 10. Everyone has the right on arrest or detention
a) to be informed promptly of the reasons therefor;
b) to retain and instruct counsel without delay and to be informed of that right; and
c) to have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful.

how does one get a lawyer on the side of the road after the cops have taken the car already?

Section 11(d) Any person charged with an offence has the right ...
(d) to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal;

innocent til proiven guilty means in a court of law, not a roadside stop by police.

there are a few more that can be used but these are the main ones.
driving is not a right but these are.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by chasingtail

Lowering the legal BAC so low makes it risky to drink at anytime. For example you had 1 or 2 drinks at home and need to leave for some emergency. Half the volunteer fire fighters or sitting around 0.5 on any given night.

That's a pretty inflammatory statement Pal, and Not only myself but several others I know take offence to that remark!
Cat

[chasingtail]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

That's a pretty inflammatory statement Pal, and Not only myself but several others I know take offence to that remark!
Cat

No need to take offence, it wasn't meant to be offensive, It shouldn't matter that volunter firefighters at least where I grew up have a fairly large liquor selection in the firehall. I have a lot of friends and family that are volunteer firefighters, been to a few good parties. Prior to cell phones in small towns the fire phone was often located in the bar. One of the perks for the important work they do.