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> You get liquored up beyond the set legal limit, you get in your car, put the key in the ignition, and start the engine. Not a crime. > you put it into gear
by sjwright 11y ago
> You get liquored up beyond the set legal limit, you get in your car, put the key in the ignition, and start the engine.
Not a crime.
> you put it into gear and keep your foot on the brakes.
A crime.
In the first case you are not driving. In the second case you absolutely, unambiguously are driving.
It's not a crime because you might kill someone, it's a crime because it has been defined as such in legislation. The legislation exists because you might kill someone.
Law is arbitrary because it has to be. And we have picked this arbitrary line because society broadly agrees that this line makes the most sense.
> In my opinion, you have to actually do some damage to be a criminal.
Then I'm very glad you don't have control over the law. I don't want drunk people to drive because I drive on the road, my family drives and travels on the road, my friends drive and travel on the road.
- stephenr 11y ago> Not a crime Afaik most jurisdictions would consider that "in control" of the motor vehicle and thus operating it under the influence of alcohol, and thus a crime. In Australia I don't think the engine even has to be running, I think keys in the ignition are enough to show "control" and thus charge you.
- gonzo 11y agoIn many US states, being in the car and in possession of the keys while legally intoxicated is grounds for a DUI conviction.
- bronson 11y agoCorrect. If you're drunk in the driver's seat on a public roadway (say, street parking in front of a bar), you're breaking the law. Doesn't matter if the car is parked, or if the engine is even on. If you want to sleep it off, make sure you're in the passenger seat.