I got really hosed for the good of the Astro's

People are throwing around stats with no proof. Let's see it.

 

I don't know the stats, but I'd be interested to see them all, even at 0.08, and on cell phones. Where is this info coming from?

I'd wager to guess you are still much more likely to get in an accident at 0.08 than having not had a drink. I'd also be interested in seeing the types of accidents. Not just total number, but serious damage, two-car accidents, etc. at varying levels, including cell phones. I remember some towns were banning cell phone usage while driving.

 

I'm not a mathematician, but I did stay at a holiday inn last night. How many more people are driving today than the early 80's? And isn't the point the fact that they did drastically go down at first?

 

Here is an article that states that alcohol related traffic fatalities went from 26000+ (60% of all auto related fatalities) in 1982 to 17000+ (40% of all auto related fatalities) in 1998 and have remained relatively stagnant since then (at least through 2003).

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/18/national/main589270.shtml

According to the article anything above 0.01 (yes I typed that correctly) is considered alcohol related by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

I've watched a couple of Dateline NBC shows on this, and they tested (with actual drivers) the ability to drink and drive at the legal level, illegal level, on the cell phone, puting on make up, reading the paper, fooling with CDs, etc... and the people doing "other" things are far more distracted and dangerous then a light drinker. I don't have hard facts in front of me, and this isn't debate and discussion so I'm not going to search... just going by what I know personally. I know my friend wasn't drunk, and blew a .1 and it has been hell for him. I am HAPPY they have decided to cut down on drinking and driving, but they are ignoring the hundreds of other, more dangerous things people do while they are driving.

 

I saw something on the road today you don't normally see. Some lady was driving her car while signing to a deaf person in the passenger seat at the same time. She was all over the road and driving too slowly. I was behind her and...boy...was I getting pissed. You don't see that everyday. She was an accident waiting to happen. Doesn't really have anything to do with anything other than what people do on the road to try to create accidents. I had never seen that before.

 

Haha I have thought about that before. I guess deaf people can't talk while they drive.

 

LOL! The first time I read that I thought to myself... "Why in the hell would she be singing to a deaf person?" and then I thought "How in the hell did he know the person they were singing to was deaf?" and then I realized it is Friday and I'm a moron.

 

I agree completely. Funny thing is, I remember some Dateline, 20/20 type show where they were doign this (not actually having any drive - using one of those simulators), just with people drinking at a party. Most thought they were okay to drive, and even some who tested below the legal limit failed miserably. I think they had them drive beforehand too to make sure they weren't just generally bad drivers.

 

I've seen another nightly news show too about "tired" drivers... and those results were pretty crazy. They had them drive for like an hour at a time on a closed course in various degrees of being tired. Like staying up all night, or getting only a few hours of sleep for a couple of nights. They made them drive first in normal conditions and it was crazy seeing these usually good to great drivers turning into timebombs simply because they only got 10 hours of sleep over a 3 days.

 

the human head weighs 8 pounds.

 

I'm sorry. Your story sucks, but that part is cool. I had no idea such things existed. They should put those on every car...that would cut down on drunk driving accidents for sure!

Of course they say they are not always accurate...but still.

 

Sorry to hear about that.

Jail sucks

 

Here are a few interesting DWI stats:

Between Midnight and 3am, 77 percent of traffic fatalities involved DWIs.

On the weekend, 53 percent of traffic fatalities involved DWIs.

In the US as a whole, those DUI, but under the standard .08 BAC were involved in over 4,000 fatalities, approximately 5 times the # of fatalities caused by red light runners.

Everything I've seen/studies in my line of work, that have said, at most, cell phone related fatalities are 300-500 anually.

Over 75% of all traffic fatalities in the US, are usually due to excessive speeding/DUI/DWI. DWI is still almost 5,000 ahead anually over speeding.

Also, while the percentage of DUI/DWI fatalities has been stagnant, the # of registered drivers has gone up 10-15 % since the mid 90s.