Should First Time DUI Offenders Be "Locked Out"?

The National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) believes that it's crucial for everyone convicted of a DUI to have ignition interlock devices installed into their car - even for a first offense. They say that "such a policy could be a major factor in preventing traffic collision deaths, especially those occurring in accidents caused by a wrong-way driver" seeing as 60% of wrong way driver accidents are caused by drunk drivers.

Drunk Driving Accident

Others are saying that it's too much to make the interlock devices mandatory for all first time offenders, though currently 17 states require interlocks for first-time offenders. The alcoholic beverage industry opposes a blanket requirement for first-time offenders, but it supports restrictions for people who have registered exceptionally high blood-alcohol levels.

Both the Distilled Spirits Council and the American Beverage Institute, which represents restaurant chains, support ignition interlocks for first-time convictions of people who posted a blood-alcohol content of .15 or higher.

“The first step to address the number one killer on our roadways is to do what is proven to be effective -- use interlocks for all DWI offenders,” said Deborah Hersman, chairman of the NTSB.

"We believe that judges should be able to distinguish between someone who is one sip over the limit and someone has had nine drinks prior to driving. There should not be a one-size-fits-all penalty for DUI offenders," said Sarah Longwell, managing director of the American Beverage Institute.

Though with drunk driving fatalities actually on the decline is it important for all first time offenders to have such a device? Some say that it's just too expensive and many states that have strict laws don't enforce them because of the cost.


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Ideas To Prevent Drunk Driving This Holiday Season

As the holidays are approaching, there are bound to be more needless drunk driving accidents happening. Here are some idea on how to prevent drunk driving this holiday season.


-Raise Fines: Drunk drivers are typically charged between $7,000-$10,000 for a first offense. Raising fines to $15,000-$20,000 and increase them by thousands of dollars for subsequent offenses should help deter offenders.

-Ignition Interlock Device: If you installed them in every first offender’s vehicle it would accomplish two things at once; it works like a breathalyzer to assess a driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) and then it overrides a car’s ignition so it won’t start if alcohol is present in the driver’s system. It’s a very effective deterrent to drunken driving behavior.

-Buy A Breathalyzer: Some places that serve alcohol have breathalyzer tests available. This way if you're not sure how much you've had, or you've been drinking steadily over a period of time, you can text yourself before you get into your vehicle and know if you're ok or not. But it's important with this to remember that everyone has a different limit. You might have a BAC of .04 and still be too buzzed to drive.

So just remember this holiday season, be careful drinking. Know your limits and know when to stop to give yourself enough time to sober up before driving home. Get a designated driver if possible, and DON'T let anyone who you know is drunk get behind the wheel! They're not just putting their own lives at risk, but anyone on the road!

Nearly 12,000 individuals die each year in America due to drunk driving accidents. 

Over 900,000 people are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, and a full 1/3 of them are repeat offenders. 

Be smart and be safe.



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Child Taken Into State Custody After Drunk Driving Accident

Gabrielle Moreau, 22, was charged with her second count of drunk driving recently in Shrewsbury, MA. On top of that, she is also being charged with child endangerment while driving drunk, a marked lanes violation and negligent driving.

A state police trooper reported first encountering Ms. Moreau shortly before midnight after responding to a call about a motor vehicle with no lights on being off the roadway on Interstate 290. 

The trooper who arrived found the vehicle parked up an embankment. The trooper also stated there was a strong liquor smell and, upon checking the vehicle, a glass Bud Light bottle was in plain view at the foot of her j2 year-old toddler's car seat. Moreau refused a breath test, according to police.

While Moreau was treated at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester for injuries sustained in the accident, her daughter was taken into state custody by The State Department of Children and Families (DCF).


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AHL Player Arrested For Drunk Driving

Hockey player Riley Sheahan was arrested for drunk driving toward the end of October, which might explain the purple Teletubby costume he was wearing at the time of his arrest. And although the situation might be humorous, what he did was definitely not. 

Sheahan, a player on the Detroit Red Wings and a native of Canada, was using a teammates ID to go drinking because, at only 20 year-old, it's not legal for him to drink in this country. When he was arrested, Sheahan had a mind-boggling BAC of .3 which is just under four times the legal limit! It is also almost double the BAC of what would be considered "super drunk".

He was arrested after driving down a street the wrong way in Grand Rapids Michigan. He pleaded not guilty, but since he qualified as “super drunk,” which means he had a BAC of 0.17 or higher, he could face up to 180 days in jail. He could also face deportation, as he is a Canadian citizen.


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Drunk Driver Crashes Into Parked Police Cars

Two police offers from Palm Bay were on the side of the road Monday night, assisting a car that was previously disabled. As the police officers helped the car that had been struck, 61 year-old Errol Brace crashed his Chevy Colorado into the marked police cars whose emergency lights were flashing. 

Brace was believed to be drunk and charges are still pending. He was taken to the hospital with injuries from the crash. 

The two police officers, Police Cpl. Floyd Burke and Officer Chris Maloy, were both uninjured, however one of the cruisers is quite possibly totaled and the other had minor damage.

As court records show, Brace had previously been charged with drunk driving back in 2003, but got off with only paying a fine. 



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Drunk Driver Carries Man On Windshield For Two Miles

51 year-old Sherri Wilkins was driving drunk down a California street when she struck a pedestrian. But as if that weren't bad enough, Wilkins drove over two miles with the man "partially embedded into her windshield" as police say.

Left: Philip Moreno;  Right: Sherri Wilkins

Phillip Moreno, the man Wilkins' struck during the accident, had fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at a local hospital soon after the accident. He was only 31.

Wilkins will be heading to court and, as Sgt. Watt states, might just be adding a felony hit and run to her list of offenses, which currently include manslaughter and drunk driving. Her BAC the night of the accident was twice the legal limit. She was "driving home from work" according to police report.

As no surprise, Wilkins is a repeat offender (as are most drunk drivers). Back in 2010, she was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and being under the influence of a controlled substance.


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Drunk Driver Passes Out With Foot On The Brake

This very easily could have ended horribly. But luckily when 25 year old drunk driver Justin M. Korsmeyer passed out behind the wheel of his car, he had his foot on the brake! Police responded to a call about a vehicle stopped in the middle of Highway 52. When they arrived the found Korsmeyer intoxicated and passed out behind the wheel and could not be woken. Authorities had to use a lock-out kit to get inside the vehicle which was still in gear. They not only found open alcoholic containers, but also loaded firearms. 

“This incident could have very easily cost someone their life, and I am grateful no one was injured.  I have to thank the Miller County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this investigation,” says Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman.

For example, while the Sherrif's office was bringing Korsmeyer to justice, they came across a 16 year-old drunk driver who was speeding down lanes of oncoming traffic and "had a blood alcohol content 4 times the legal limit for their age" (which, at 16, shouldn't it be 0?). 

Korsmeyer was held in the Maries County Jail, and issued a citation for DWI-prior offender, and he may face additional charges.


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