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Thread: Utah to adopt the toughest DUI laws in the nation

  1. #1

    Utah to adopt the toughest DUI laws in the nation

    Lawmakers have approved legislation that aims to lower the DUI threshold in Utah. If signed by Gov. Gary Herbert, Utah would have the lowest in the nation.

    "This is not a drinking bill," said the measure's sponsor, Sen. Stuart Adams. "It's a driving bill. It's a public safety bill."
    http://www.sltrib.com/news/5032505-1...runken-driving


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  3. #2
    How about we go after cell phones and driving? Now days they are a lot more numerous and dangerous than DUI drivers.

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  5. #3
    Herb will almost certainly sign this one into law as it aligns perfectly with his religion.
    It's only "science" if it supports the narrative.

  6. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by rockgremlin View Post
    Herb will almost certainly sign this one into law as it aligns perfectly with his religion.
    No doubt about it. Believers of small government, unless it's something they view as a sin.

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  8. #5
    I can't speak to the motivation (religious or not) but I do know that in comparison to many other countries, our DUI laws are pretty lax.
    Life is Good

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  10. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Card View Post
    I can't speak to the motivation (religious or not) but I do know that in comparison to many other countries, our DUI laws are pretty lax.
    Tougher than 0.05? I really want to believe you but I find that very difficult to accept. I breathe a 0.05 after just two beers. Two beers couldn't get YOU even slightly tipsy.
    It's only "science" if it supports the narrative.

  11. #7
    Tougher than 0.05?
    Scott Card is right:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunk_...law_by_country
    Utah is a very special and unique place. There is no where else like it on earth. Please take care of it and keep the remaining wild areas in pristine condition. The world will be a better place if you do.

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  13. #8
    This is a bit crazy. I don't get it. If this is truly a case of them being interested in public safety and all that crap, which we all know is not the case, they are going to have to start asking people how many hours of sleep they got last night and how many times they have yawned in the last hour. I don't know about you, but I have scared myself more than once from being too tired while driving.

    And cell phones have to go also. I have almost been run into more times than I care to think about by someone on the phone.

    Idiots. All of them. And yes, I'm a member of that church. Doesn't mean that I want to control your life if you're not.

  14. #9
    Moderator jman's Avatar
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    Utah to adopt the toughest DUI laws in the nation

    Just a thought or two,

    Most of the time, we call ourselves "responsible". We are responsible adults right?

    Why drink at a bar alone? Why not stay at home and stay off the streets instead.

    If people insist on being "responsible" at the bar then call a cab, call a friend, call uber, call anyone. Yet, I have seen with my own eyes, the unspoken rule amongst drinkers, that you don't tattle or tells others when they have had enough to drink or when they see them drink and then drive home alone. Not a word. That drinking culture needs to go away.

    Cell phones have been equivocates to drunk driving, if not worse. However, once a person puts away their phone, instantly, those distracted-driving effects go away. But with alcohol, things don't just get instantly better.

    0.05 does seem quite low and drinking NyQuil will probably have the same effect. And perhaps those people shouldn't even drive too.

    The state is worried about alcohol and kids. They know people LOVE it here. Can't get enough of it. They are proud of it. But the state has a privilege of protecting the kids and the state of "overconsumption" and protecting public safety.

    When "responsible" adults can't control themselves, then unfortunately the state has to step in.

    On a related but different side-note, I wish President Trump and government instead of saying "we will fix this...we'll will fix that...we will fix everything", he also needs to add in "and society, (you and I) need to help make America great again. It takes both sides. Same with alcohol, driving, and education.

    Edit: my point with the "responsible" portion was that while many adults call themselves "responsible", they know that distracted driving is very dangerous yet DO IT anyway. Willful negligence. "I know distracted diving/drunk driving is bad....but meh....haven't killed anyone yet or got caught!"

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  15. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Card View Post
    I can't speak to the motivation (religious or not) but I do know that in comparison to many other countries, our DUI laws are pretty lax.
    True that. U.S. driving laws in general are lax compared to other (comparable) countries. Drivers here enjoy a near-right to drive - even bad/dangerous drivers. Sad!

  16. #11
    10,000 people die in the U.S. every year as a result of DUI. 32,000 die in falls every year. 38,000 die every year from accidental poisoning.

    Or we can really go big... Do you know how many people were slaughtered because of Obama's red line? I'm sure you don't.

    Anyhoo... my point is in the big picture drinking is just an easy target that law makers like to attack so they can hang their hat on something when election time rolls around.

  17. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Iceaxe View Post
    Or we can really go big... Do you know how many people were slaughtered because of Obama's red line? I'm sure you don't.
    Given fake news and revisionist history, I'm sure we don't. Obama makes a statement at a White House Press Conference leading to people being slaughtered and him being responsible for it? I don't follow fake news...what's the Obama hatin' spin on this?

    Bigger yet, was, how many people were spared because of the removal of chemical weapons from Syria?

    Anyhoo....back to the OP...yeah, we (the US) is behind the rest of the world in DUI levels, penalties, etc. You'd be f'd if you got caught above legal limits in Europe, which, I think in nearly every country is .05%. I'm darn careful over there, but, when on vacation, our situation is usually dinner/drinks out via a short walk from lodging. We don't usually drive. Or, we take public transport (metro).

    We drove to a Heuriger outside of Vienna a couple of years ago...about the only time I've been worried as we had a few glasses of the local hooch, with food, but, I didn't have the route back to our hotel sussed out but accidently nailed it and we got back with no issues. Still scared me a bit. Was I impaired? I didn't think so, but, the low percent BAC is a concern although I nearly never see any polizei. Austria is .05%, unless you're a new driver (2 years or less with a driver's license) then its a whoppin' .01%, same as commercial drivers.

    Some of Europes DUI laws are kinda fun. I like Denmark's penalty. One month's pay, after taxes, times BAC times 10. If your take home was, say, 2k a month and you blew .1, then, your fine would be your pay for that month.

    Anyhoo....folks just don't drink and drive in Europe like we do over here.

    Not really opposed to lowering the limit...but...I do wonder how it'll effect folks who go out. At my body weight, I could tolerate a pre-dinner beverage and a beverage with dinner. We rarely go out to the bars to just drink.

    But, the more diminutive of us, say, girls night out? Short night! At a body weight of 120lb, most women could handle one drink is all without blowing north of .04%.

    Will a lower % alcohol hurt the bar/restaurant businesses? I'd think so. Depends on the level and ferocity of enforcement. Look at the Canyon Inn's story in Cottonwood Heights. Didn't take .05% to kill that place. Just aggressive targeting.

    Be interesting to get the data on folks that were pulled over for behavior that ended up being a DUI. What was the BAC? Do a six sigma lower limit? My bet is its well north of .08%.

    I wonder about studies that show how much impairment would affect public safety.

    We drink and drive. Everyone of us that goes out for dinner and has an adult beverage. For me, that's nearly every time I eat out. I won't patronize any Mexican restaurant that doesn't have decent margaritas. Exception being Lone Star Taqueria of course (!) and I'll have a Modelo. Pizza? Impossible without good beer or at least a glass of red. A fine steak dinner? Cocktail to start, then red wine. And so on.

    Easier to just stay home and not worry about the risk...

  18. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian in SLC View Post
    Given fake news and revisionist history, I'm sure we don't. .


    The number you're searching for is 250,000.... give or take 10,000 here or 10,000 there....

    Dead people are actually pretty easy to count as they don't run away real fast.

  19. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Iceaxe View Post
    10,000 people die in the U.S. every year as a result of DUI.
    Whoa, that's a huge number.

    Is that just the intoxicated drivers? Or does that include all the innocent victims as well?

    Although I'm in favor of this law...will it, or any other law, prevent a senseless tragedy like the group of teenagers in Moab last weekend who's poor choices have forever changed their lives and the lives of their families?

    I seriously doubt it.

    http://www.moabtimes.com/view/full_s...ome_news_right

  20. #15
    35,000 a year die in US auto accidents, so 1 in 3.5 deaths involves alcohol.

    But to put that number in a better perspective 20,000 of the 30k were not wearing seat belts. Or 2 in 3.5 deaths is the result of not wearing a seat belt.

    With those numbers any idiot should be able to see concentrating on seat belts would save a lot more lives.

  21. #16
    But the difference is that most of the people dying from not wearing seatbelts is a result of their own choice.

    Most of the people dying from alcohol related accidents are the result of other peoples poor choices, not theirs.

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  23. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian in SLC View Post
    fake news

    CNN anchor Jake Tapper: My Son Does a ‘Fake News’ Impression Whenever I Annoy Him.



    Too Funny.... Brian does that exact same thing when I annoy him... the only real difference is Tappers kid is only 7 years old.

  24. #18
    Interesting to consider some of the data...

    Utah has the lowest percentage of driving fatalities that were drunk driving related. 16% in 2012. Way lower than any other state.

    Here's the causes:
    Speed (42%)
    Failed to keep in proper lane (35%)
    Unrestrained occupants (34%)
    Drunk driving (16%)
    Failed to yield (11%)

    I think those are 2012 numbers.

    In 2016, the department of public safety in Utah reports (in order of highest to lowest):

    https://highwaysafety.utah.gov/wp-co...hSummary-2.pdf
    Speed Crash 104 37.1% 104 0.0% 100.3 3.7%
    Unrestrained Occupants 80 28.6% 87 -8.0% 73.3 9.1%
    Older (Age 65+) Driver Crash 49 17.5% 59 -16.9% 53.7 -8.7%
    Failed to Yield Crash 44 15.7% 30 46.7% 27.7 59.0%
    Teenage Driver Crash 43 15.4% 30 43.3% 29.7 44.9%
    Motorcyclists 42 15.0% 36 16.7% 37.3 12.5%
    Pedestrians 39 13.9% 49 -20.4% 38.7 0.9%
    Drunk Driver Crash 33 11.8% 37 -10.8% 35.0 -5.7%
    Inclement Weather Crash 27 9.6% 35 -22.9% 27.0 0.0%
    Heavy Truck Crash 25 8.9% 40 -37.5% 27.3 -8.5%
    Distracted Driving Crash 21 7.5% 28 -25.0% 22.3 -6.0%
    Drowsy Driving Crash 21 7.5% 15 40.0% 11.7 80.0%
    Red Light/Stop Sign Running 18 6.4% 19 -5.3% 17.7 1.9%
    Followed Too Closely Crash 9 3.2% 10 -10.0% 9.3 -3.6%
    Bicyclists 5 1.8% 5 0.0% 6.7 -25.0%
    Improper Passing Crash 3 1.1% 2 50.0% 5.3 -43.8%
    Animal-Related Crash 1 0.4% 1 0.0% 2.0 -50.0%

    In the 258 fatal crashes there were 397 drivers, of which 55% were tested foralcohol and/or drugs with results available.
    
    Of the 191 drivers in fatal crashes tested for alcohol and/or drugs, 57% were
    negative for alcohol/drugs, 30% were positive for drugs only, 9% were positive for
    alcohol only, and 4% were positive for both alcohol and drugs.
    
    26 drivers tested positive for marijuana in 2016 compared to 38 in 2015.

    14 drivers tested positive for methamphetamine in 2016 compared to 17 in 2015.

    A positive drug test does not necessarily imply impairment.
    *********************

    Interesting...to combat the above, Utah is making the seat belt law permanent. Also, the lowering of the BAC to .05% would be another attempt at addressing public safety.

    Teens and oldsters...both a higher percentage as a cause than alcohol related fatalities. Drowsy and distracted are right in there as a percentage too.

    Drive safe!


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  26. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Iceaxe View Post
    CNN anchor Jake Tapper: My Son Does a ‘Fake News’ Impression Whenever I Annoy Him.



    Too Funny.... Brian does that exact same thing when I annoy him... the only real difference is Tappers kid is only 7 years old.
    We're all just big kids here, right? I'm not annoyed...I just consider that your source for news and mine are wildly different, as is the spin on "the facts".

    Spicer talking about job report in the recent press conference was pretty funny. “I talked to the president prior to this and he said to quote him very clearly,” Spicer said. “They may have been phony in the past, but they are very real now.”

    I like when Trump draws a line in the sand, ala Flynn and Iran, he then fires the guy who turns out was an agent for a foreign government (Turkey). And the hits just keep on coming.

    I'm sure its still Obama's fault...when he wasn't too busy tapping Trump tower he was brokering a sweet heart deal with Trump's pick to head the NSA...

    Four weekends cheating at golf in Mar-a-lago since inauguration? Impressive. Ha ha.

  27. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian in SLC View Post
    Four weekends cheating at golf in Mar-a-lago since inauguration? Impressive. Ha ha.
    As opposed to Obama who spent his first 3 months in office filling out his NCAA brackets.

    Love Trump or hate him, the guy is doing exactly what he promised he would do...

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