“DRIVE HAMMERED GET NAILED”
This is the tagline for the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission’s fight against drunken driving campaign. While I agree with what the campaign stands for (more state patrolmen on the road to catch drunk drivers) you are almost challenging the audience to get behind the wheel drunk and see what happens. Ms. Lambert, why would you even give someone the chance to drive after they have been drinking? Why not eliminate the chance of anyone getting hurt because of one individual’s careless choice?
Put our tax dollars to better use. Spend the money on the mandatory enforcement of the ignition interlock device that could SAVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS every year.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Dispelling the Rumors of Drunk Driving
Stop listening to what you hear. If you are drinking you should never get behind the wheel. Here are some common myths about drinking and driving
*You can sober up quickly by drinking coffee, taking a cold shower or
consuming an energy drink.
-- Only time will sober you up. Typically 1 our per drink
*Big people can handle their alcohol better so they can drink and still drive
*You can develop a high tolerance.
*If I stay with beer and never drink the hard stuff so I’ll be fine to drive.
*I can only get charged with a DUI if my BAC is .08 or higher
*You can fool the breath test.
--The following are urban myths to change your BAC
1. Put a piece of metal in your mouth
2. Suck on a alkaline battery
3. Place a penny under you tongue
4. Put a fresh stick of gum in your mouth
5. Blow very hard
6. Hardly blow at all
7. Lick a piece of tin foil
8. Hold your breath before the test
9. Starchy foods will absorb the alcohol in your breath
10.Oxygenate your blood by taking deep breaths
*You can sober up quickly by drinking coffee, taking a cold shower or
consuming an energy drink.
-- Only time will sober you up. Typically 1 our per drink
*Big people can handle their alcohol better so they can drink and still drive
*You can develop a high tolerance.
*If I stay with beer and never drink the hard stuff so I’ll be fine to drive.
*I can only get charged with a DUI if my BAC is .08 or higher
*You can fool the breath test.
--The following are urban myths to change your BAC
1. Put a piece of metal in your mouth
2. Suck on a alkaline battery
3. Place a penny under you tongue
4. Put a fresh stick of gum in your mouth
5. Blow very hard
6. Hardly blow at all
7. Lick a piece of tin foil
8. Hold your breath before the test
9. Starchy foods will absorb the alcohol in your breath
10.Oxygenate your blood by taking deep breaths
ACCOUNTABILITY
From the blog of Garth Brooks, former prosecuting attorney and former DUI defense attorney:
"Currently, the crime of DUI does not have an element of “INTENT” Prosecutors do not need to prove the defendant intended to drive under the influence. However, if every car was required to have an Interlock Device, and an individual was caught Driving Under the Influence because they disconnected their Interlock, that would be clear evidence the individual intentionally committed DUI. Such conduct could become a felony requiring a five year minimum prison term. DUI would be nearly eradicated in the United States."
Garth Brooks blog:
http://blog.seattle-duiattorney.com/
DRUNK DRIVERS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS
"Currently, the crime of DUI does not have an element of “INTENT” Prosecutors do not need to prove the defendant intended to drive under the influence. However, if every car was required to have an Interlock Device, and an individual was caught Driving Under the Influence because they disconnected their Interlock, that would be clear evidence the individual intentionally committed DUI. Such conduct could become a felony requiring a five year minimum prison term. DUI would be nearly eradicated in the United States."
Garth Brooks blog:
http://blog.seattle-duiattorney.com/
DRUNK DRIVERS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS
Reality Check
521 lives were lost in Washington last year.
You have the chance to save lives. Are you willing to make it?
You have the chance to save lives. Are you willing to make it?
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Lives that COULD have been SAVED
STEVEN ANTHONY RHONE JR.
This group for everyone that knew Steven Rhone and got a chance to experience him as the great person that he was. He was a great friend to everyone that knew him and he was a young man that had such a bright future in front of him. I know that he would greatly appreciate all the support that people are giving his family and friends. All we can do now is give his family our best, who are so thankful that Steven has this many friends to remember him And also, for the people that are around the same age of Steven, just realize how special life is and look how things like this DO happen to people you know and just get as much out of life as you can, that's how Steven did it. ----Excerpt from a Facebook group in memory of Steven
NICK ADENHART
The lives of Angels’ rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, and friends Henry Pearson and Courtney Stewart were cut short by the ignorant choice of 22 year-old Andrew Thomas Gallow. He got behind the wheel with a BAC of three times the legal limit and broadsided Adenhart’s car.
This accident could have been prevented: “Gallo pleaded guilty to drunken driving in 2006 in San Bernardino. He was sentenced to two days in jail, three years of probation, a $1,374 fine and a four-month alcohol treatment program, court records show. He didn't serve any jail time, however, because he received credit for time served.”
ADAM ZIMMER & LINDSEY ARNOLD-ZIMMER
"A Granite City man with five prior DUIs accepted the maximum sentence for driving drunk in a 91-mph crash that killed a young couple and their unborn child.
Donald W. Canterbery, 57, received a 28-year prison sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to aggravated drunken driving and related charges. He pleaded guilty to driving drunk in a February wreck in Pontoon Beach that killed Adam Zimmer, 26, and his wife, Lindsey Arnold-Zimmer, 24, both of Granite City. Arnold-Zimmer was five months pregnant."
The thing these individuals have in common: their lives could have been saved by the ignition interlock device.
IT HITS HOME A LITTLE HARDER WHEN YOU SEE THE FACES OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Perspective of a Judge
Legislation has been passed, and people across the U.S. have seen the effectiveness of the ignition- interlock device. Unfortunately, the laziness and ignorance of people, some who you would not expect, has kept the device from saving innocent people
On May 28, 1987 LaDoris Cordell became the first judge in California to require the installation of the ignition-interlock device upon first-time conviction for drunken drivers. She received harsh criticism from her colleagues “who wanted to dispose of these cases quickly and quietly.” They saw the extra paperwork involved in issuing the device as a waste of time.
Twenty years later Cordell’s goal of legislation for the interlock device has become a reality. Today, all 50 states grant a judge with the authority to mandate installation of the device. But, her peers are still disgruntled due to the same issue: time constraints.
Some judges across the U.S. still have this view point regardless of evidence which demonstrates the effectiveness the ignition-interlock device on our society. “The American Journal of Preventive Medicine notes that five out of six studies found that interlocks reduced the rate of recidivism for DWI charges. Participants in the interlock programs were 15 percent to 69 percent less likely than other offenders to be rearrested for drunken driving.”
Currently, the future of this legislation is in the hands of the judges across America. So Ms. Lambert I am challenging you to make a change, take the power. Judges should no longer have the option of whether or not to use the legislation.It should be mandatory.
http://www.slate.com/id/2229209
Friday, October 16, 2009
Drunk Drivers are Murders
I'll leave you with this video. The ignition interlock device will not eliminate all drunk driving fatalities, but it is a step in the right direction.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Mentality of a College Student
On Saturday night I was leaving a party when I heard a huge crash. I looked up and saw an explorer backed into a Volvo. Behind the wheel was a boy who had been drinking and stumbling around the party all night. His friend tried to stop him, but being drunk, angry, and ignorant he sped off. The next morning he was convinced that his friends were lying to him, claiming that none of the incidents from the night before had been true. Luckily he did not hurt anyone on his way home. This is not always the case.
In 2008 an estimated 11,770 PEOPLE DIED in drunk driving accidents that involved a driver with an illegal BAC of .08 or greater. Drunk driving is the leading criminal cause of death in the United States.
I wish I could say that I had never seen an incident like the one mentioned above, but unfortunately it is a common occurrence; especially for college students. We believe that we are invincible. The advertising and message about the consequences of drinking and driving don’t matter because it won’t happen to us, right? I know, because I was one of those believers. That theory was shattered in my mind on that horrific night of June 2nd. You don’t understand the magnitude of this message until it happens to you.
In 2008 an estimated 11,770 PEOPLE DIED in drunk driving accidents that involved a driver with an illegal BAC of .08 or greater. Drunk driving is the leading criminal cause of death in the United States.
I wish I could say that I had never seen an incident like the one mentioned above, but unfortunately it is a common occurrence; especially for college students. We believe that we are invincible. The advertising and message about the consequences of drinking and driving don’t matter because it won’t happen to us, right? I know, because I was one of those believers. That theory was shattered in my mind on that horrific night of June 2nd. You don’t understand the magnitude of this message until it happens to you.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Time for Change
Every year there are nearly 47,000 DUI arrests in Washington. This statistic includes many repeat offenders. Are we going to wait until they take the life of an innocent victim to take a stance?
All 50 states have legislation for the use of an ignition interlock device. The problem -- it is not mandatory, it is at the discretion of the sentencing judge. The only state who has made it mandatory is NEW MEXICO
Most of the public is not fully educated on ignition interlock device so I wanted to give a brief overview.
>COST: $100 one time installation $30-80 a month for upkeep/reports: This price alone could work to deter people from drinking and driving
>The device records failed attempts (if someone blows over a .03) –this information is reviewed by the offender’s judge or payroll officer. This not only holds drivers accountable, it additionally manages the progress of the driver.
>Once driver gets the car to start initially, he or she must blow at consistent intervals to ensure that their BAC is not rising. If their BAC goes above the limit the driver will be alerted with a horn honk/flashing lights to give them time to get off the road. The cord of the device is short, meaning it cannot stretch across to the passenger side for someone to cheat the system.
> Tim Hallford, former president and CEO of Adobe Interlock found that in one year there were 30,000 blows recorded at 0.08, the national standard for impaired driving. The ignition interlock system kept those people off of state highways in New Mexico and prevented horrific tragedies from occurring.
The ignition interlock device is not a cure-all to drunk driving. But, it is a step in keeping drunk drivers off the road and protecting innocent lives from being lost.
All 50 states have legislation for the use of an ignition interlock device. The problem -- it is not mandatory, it is at the discretion of the sentencing judge. The only state who has made it mandatory is NEW MEXICO
Most of the public is not fully educated on ignition interlock device so I wanted to give a brief overview.
>COST: $100 one time installation $30-80 a month for upkeep/reports: This price alone could work to deter people from drinking and driving
>The device records failed attempts (if someone blows over a .03) –this information is reviewed by the offender’s judge or payroll officer. This not only holds drivers accountable, it additionally manages the progress of the driver.
>Once driver gets the car to start initially, he or she must blow at consistent intervals to ensure that their BAC is not rising. If their BAC goes above the limit the driver will be alerted with a horn honk/flashing lights to give them time to get off the road. The cord of the device is short, meaning it cannot stretch across to the passenger side for someone to cheat the system.
> Tim Hallford, former president and CEO of Adobe Interlock found that in one year there were 30,000 blows recorded at 0.08, the national standard for impaired driving. The ignition interlock system kept those people off of state highways in New Mexico and prevented horrific tragedies from occurring.
The ignition interlock device is not a cure-all to drunk driving. But, it is a step in keeping drunk drivers off the road and protecting innocent lives from being lost.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Steven Anthony Rhone Jr. January 30, 1987-June 2, 2007
June 2, 2007: I was one week away from finishing my freshmen year of college. I could not wait to be reunited with my childhood group of friends, who were more like family to me. That morning I received a call from one of my friends that made time stop. The words took the wind out of me and sent me into shock, "Steven got killed by a drunk driver last night."
Steven Rhone had gone to visit our group of 15 guy friends that night, and after drinking made the decision to walk home instead of getting behind the wheel. Damian MacKay, 22 at the time, was not that wise. After consuming 9-12 drinks he decided to drive home. Just feet away from two of my friends MacKay took Steven's life , and fled the scene where he would attempt to cover the evidence.
On Oct. 5 MacKay was given an absolutely pathetic sentence of 4.5 years in prison for vehicular homicide. All those who aided him received a slim 5 months.
In the beginning the initial shock of losing someone who you considered one of your best friends seemed like the most difficult thing that I would face, unfortunately it only got worse. I tried to hid behind denial, the boy who had lived around the corner from me for 12 years could not really be gone.
I remember every moment of the morning I went to his funeral. It felt surreal, and staged as if it was just part of a stunt used in assemblies to keep students from drinking and driving. But this was real. Pictures and memorobilia crowded the hallways. Nearly everyone who I had known growing up was there. Parents with tears in the eyes trying to remain strong, teachers who Steven and I had together, and as it seemed nearly everyone in our senior class, a tribute to how loved Steven was. As I watched pictures of Steven and I go by on a slideshow I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, this was real.
Steven Rhone had gone to visit our group of 15 guy friends that night, and after drinking made the decision to walk home instead of getting behind the wheel. Damian MacKay, 22 at the time, was not that wise. After consuming 9-12 drinks he decided to drive home. Just feet away from two of my friends MacKay took Steven's life , and fled the scene where he would attempt to cover the evidence.
On Oct. 5 MacKay was given an absolutely pathetic sentence of 4.5 years in prison for vehicular homicide. All those who aided him received a slim 5 months.
In the beginning the initial shock of losing someone who you considered one of your best friends seemed like the most difficult thing that I would face, unfortunately it only got worse. I tried to hid behind denial, the boy who had lived around the corner from me for 12 years could not really be gone.
I remember every moment of the morning I went to his funeral. It felt surreal, and staged as if it was just part of a stunt used in assemblies to keep students from drinking and driving. But this was real. Pictures and memorobilia crowded the hallways. Nearly everyone who I had known growing up was there. Parents with tears in the eyes trying to remain strong, teachers who Steven and I had together, and as it seemed nearly everyone in our senior class, a tribute to how loved Steven was. As I watched pictures of Steven and I go by on a slideshow I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, this was real.
As I wrote I realized this is the first time I have put my thoughts on paper about Steven. The number of goosebumps on my skin and the size of the knot in my stomach multiplies the more I write.These feelings as well as those I have dealt with in losing a great friend of mine are many which I hope no one has to feel.
In Steven's memory and to protect the lives of others this blog is dedicated to punishing those ignorant enough to drive drunk. I am pushing to make it mandatory for an Ignition Interlock device to be installed in a person's car after receiving a DUI. This would force drivers to be ACCOUNTABLE. They would have to blow into a piece in order for the car to start. If the driver's BAC is over .03 the car will not start. This simple device would save thousands and thousands of lives at a very small cost. One breath could save a life.
I am calling upon Kathy Lambert my local councilmember to help me make a change. Upon hearing my story and the measures other states are taking I hope she will be responsive to a constituent of her district.
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