I drive in Chicago a bit, pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right of way. I have not found drivers to be rude or agressive to any degree that annoys me.
Death rates dropped a lot up to 2008, now flattened. Driver distraction is rising, I bet:
Yes, while cities account for the majority of accidents, it’s the highways and rural roads that account for most of the automobile fatalities. It’s pretty hard to have a fatal accident when the traffic congestion wont let you go faster than a crawl.
Not according IIHS. Most fatalities are in urban settings.
Guess I’m just catching up but agree with shadowfax. I’m against driving after having a drink, and support the police, but . . . I remember a few years ago in Duluth, MN a vet had a powered easy chair that he drove to the bar. The confiscated his chair and sold it on him. I feel the same way about the guy arrested on his horse and lawn mower. Just seems silly and an abuse unless they were being operated in a hazardous manner. But a horse? Why is a horse considered a vehicle? Maybe the same reason a BB gun is considered a firearm.
Probably true if you count pedestrian deaths.
The legislature is loaded with those nuts. One of these legislators even drove off a bridge at Chappaquiddick in 1969 late at night with a “honey” while drunk, left her in the car to drown, swam to the shore, and called his lawyer first thing in the morning after the booze wore off. Being a powerful Senator from Massachusetts, he got off with a misdemeanor charge. And a huge cash payoff to the drowned young lady’s parents.
I still maintain that if we impounded the car of anyone who failed a field sobriety test, returned it if they were indicted and confiscated it to auction to fund anti DUI efforts if they were convicted, in addition to other serious penalties, DUIs would drop to a tiny fraction of what they are. A drunk can’t drive drunk without a car, and NOBODY is going to loan him/her a car of they risk losing it… and they’d still be on the hook for the car payments, of course. The bank is not about to let them off.
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I imagine she had a conversation with him when he died a few years ago.
I love the thought… but my guess is that they went to different neighborhoods. 
She went up, he went down.
I remain convinced that driver’s licenses should be affixed to the rear window of cars by the driver while on the road and licenses should have a colored background easily distinguishing previous convictions for DUI, road rage, under age/permit, restrictions such as speed limitations and of course a CLEAN RECORD/NO RESTRICTIOn. Put the onus on those who have a history of irresponsible driving. Force them to deal with their past indiscretions on a day by day and mile by mile basis. Those with previous convictions would know that other motorists would closely scrutinize their driving and be less hesitant to report any questionable actions.
As for confiscating vehicles, the cost to buy a car out of impound should be discouraging enough to prevent most people from loaning their cars to known drunks. And what do insurance companies do when a covered car is driven by a drunk?
There’s a few guys at work with some DUI experience
One guy was a heavy equipment operator, who got a DUI and lost his CDL. He eventually got it back, but did not change his behaviour. He got another DUI and lost it for good. In my state, when you get a 2nd DUI, you have no possibility of EVER getting your CDL back. Then he lost his well-paying job, because he can’t perform his duties without a CDL.
He lost everything. His house, his cars, everything except for his family. Because when you lose a well-paying job, you can’t afford your lifestyle anymore. He had to move into a rattrap apartment in a gang-infested part of town.
Eventually, he was hired back, for a much lower position with very menial pay.
Another guy, a mechanic, had a DUI several years ago, before he was even hired. But it was still on his record.
Sadly, he may never have changed his behaviour, because over the years, he’s shown up numerous times reeking, unshaven, sleepy, bloodshot eyes, etc. And then a few hours later, he was better. And he’s called in sick numerous times, never with a doctor’s note. The only predictable thing is that if it’s a monday or friday, it’s a 50-50 chance of him not showing up.
He’s a nice guy, and very sharp. But he’s definitely his own worst enemy.
I’m worried that someday he’ll do something regrettable, such as hurt somebody or himself
And if he were to get in a dui car wreck and hurt/kill somebody, he’s not rich enough to buy his way out of trouble, like Ted Kennedy
I doubt if those convicted of DUI would put their licenses in the window. Perhaps, Rod, if brightly colored license plates were issued to those with a first DUI conviction? I like the idea of a warning to all the other drivers. Perhaps the confiscation should be after the second conviction. I’m negotiable! 
We have those license plates. I believe they are “Y” or “W” or something like that for people that are habitual offenders of one offense or another. When my boss was going blind and still driving, he earned the plates. Unknowingly I drove his Caddy a short distance with those plates on it not knowing that I could be pulled over at any point with no reason at all and given the third degree. My wife and I were in the grocery store parking lot and there was an Iowa car backing up with the Y or W plates. I told her to watch out and don’t go anywhere near a car with those plates.
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From 'Wearable Biosensors Studied for Clinical Monitoring and Treatment’
JAMA. 2016;316(3):255-257. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.6240.
'ankle bracelets are used by law enforcement to monitor alcohol use
among individuals who have committed alcohol-related
crimes [by sensing it in their sweat]. However, these devices only
take readings every 30 minutes and are stigmatizing. More discreet
devices created as part of the contest might also be useful for
helping accurately assess alcohol use among individuals in treatment
or those participating in clinical trials. The real-time data might
allow clinicians to intervene quickly in the event of a relapse.
‘To facilitate such everyday use, developers are focusing on
practical considerations. The electronics in Gao’s sweat sensor were
designed to withstand 2 hours of intense outdoor exercise, he said.
To make wearable sensors even more comfortable, Wang and his
colleagues at UCSD pioneered a method in 2012 that screen-printed
sensors on a temporary tattoo. To make the devices more attractive
and fun, some electrodes have been printed in a design like letters or
a smiley face.’
Ohio has those DUI plates as well. Orange in color.
Florida often requires a “blow and go” breathalyzer in cars of convicted offenders. My neighbor had one is his truck. So he rode his motorcycle (registered in his girlfriend’s name) instead.
Yeah, they’re actually color-wise almost identical to New Mexico’s normal plates, which as I recall caused some irritation on the part of NM when they came out. 
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Tell me about it !
( the color of the plates )
I moved from Ohio to New Mexico in 1972.
Spent many an annual vacation going back to visit family . . . with my bright yellow / red number license plate !
About which my brother decided to ( in such a typical brotherly fashion ) inform me that I was a marked man in Ohio !
btw ; nobody else seemed to care or notice. Possibly because NM uses only one rear plate ?
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Well said. This is the only way we will crack down on drunken drivers. until penalties get serious, it will be a serious problem. Where I live you can go for a drive on a Saturday late afternoon or evening and its not hard to see a driver who is clearly under the influence. Most of the time they are driving some sort of pickup truck. Around here people with alcoholic attitudes tend to drive pickup trucks.
If I commit a crime with a firearm it gets confiscated. Should be the same with cars.
- As great as it sounds for the moment, your suggestion assumes that every person failing a sobriety test is guilty before a court makes that decision.
- What if the car is a rental car or loaned by a friend or relative? Why should they have to pay the consequences of someone else’s stupidity?
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Do you seriously think this is the first time the driver was drunk???
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