4 ms·

I’m just wondering why they’re allowed to drive at all after 3 DUIs.

by spiderice 3y ago

Ekaros 3y ago
I would expect them to be in prison for 25 years or something after 3rd one. You know like 3 strikes...
- xmzx 3y ago
  [dead]
blamazon 3y ago
In Mississippi, one of those two aforementioned states, it's perfectly legal to drink and drive (with an open container in your hand!) as long as you stay below 0.08 BAC. (Nit: it's legal at a state level but municipalities and counties are allowed to dictate more rules on drunk driving - most don't, but YMMV)
- cosmodisk 3y ago
  I suppose it still looks a little bit like this then: https://youtu.be/2xcQIoh3FQQ https://youtu.be/2xcQIoh3FQQ
- madengr 3y ago
  [dead]
- refurb 3y ago
  Except for the open container, most states allow you to legally drive with a BAC below a certain cutoff.
  - brewdad 3y ago
    Not exactly. Most states, 0.08 or above is presumed guilty of DUI without any other impairment detected. You can still get a DUI with a BAC below 0.08 but it becomes a bit harder to convict since it becomes a function of the officer’s testimony and any physical tests administered before your arrest.
    - refurb 3y ago
      Right, it becomes a matter of impairment, not blood alcohol level. But you can certainly have one beer on an empty stomach, have a BAC of 0.04 and drive around. As long as you aren't visibly impaired, it's legal.
  - blamazon 3y ago
    True true - but to drink and drive, in the most present tense form of the word drink, only in Mississippi!
calpaterson 3y ago
I don't know about America but in the UK people don't get their driving licence taken away that often, even if they have hit 12 points (ie: racked up enough offences to theoretically lose it). There is a lot of consideration as to whether removing the driving licence will cause hardship and defendants obviously usually argue that it will (with some truth) so judges sometimes don't remove the licence. Anecdotally, I feel like it's actually gotten less common over the years. When I was a teenager I would meet adults who were riding the bus because they'd had their licence taken away. Often it would be for a 6 month period before they could re-apply (without retaking the test). That became less frequent at some point.
- arethuza 3y ago
  I think there has been a huge cultural change in how people regard drink driving - I'm old enough (50s) when i was almost regarded as a subject for humour. Now I don't know anyone who doesn't take it very seriously indeed - particularly here in Scotland where the blood-alcohol limits are quite a bit lower for driving than in the rest of the UK.
  - runarberg 3y ago
    I feel a similar cultural change in Iceland, however in USA I feel no such change, quite the contrary. Moving to the USA was honestly a bit of a culture shock in observing how commonplace the practice is. What was more shocking is observing a practice of strategic drinking, that is try to drink just the right amount to keep your blood alcohol level at the legal limit. I’ve never seen anything like that before I moved here.
    - rootusrootus 3y ago
      That will obviously vary quite a lot across a country the size of America. Local to me, DUI is extremely frowned upon. But yes, it is somewhat common for people to have an idea of what it takes to get to a BAC of 0.08%, because that is the threshold at which you will be charged with DUI. For many regular drinkers, they won't be impaired at 0.08% and it takes less alcohol than you think to get there. Especially with modern microbrew beers. Getting a DUI will completely f*ck over your life, so if you like to drink socially, you are very careful.
HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
Good lawyers, basically. Either that or it's a small town and they know the right people. I know someone who was woken up by a State Trooper, fast asleep in her vehicle on the side of the road, with the engine running so it was obvious that she fell asleep while driving. It was by far not her first DUI. I assume that she lost her license after that, but I do know that she kept driving.
- hiatus 3y ago
  > I know someone who was woken up by a State Trooper, fast asleep in her vehicle on the side of the road, with the engine running so it was obvious that she fell asleep while driving. It doesn't sound obvious to me. If it was cold out, you would run the engine for heat for instance.
  - rootusrootus 3y ago
    It may not be obvious she was in fact driving, but it'll get you a DUI charge every time. Hell, even if you're in the back seat sleeping it off you're likely to get a charge if you have the keys anywhere accessible (and sometimes, even if you don't).
    - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
      This is correct. I also neglected to mention that the car wasn't neatly pulled over onto the side of the road but had driven itself into the ditch between the road and a field.

I’m just wondering why they’re allowed to drive at all after 3 DUIs.

Ekaros 3y ago

I would expect them to be in prison for 25 years or something after 3rd one. You know like 3 strikes...

xmzx 3y ago
[dead]

blamazon 3y ago

In Mississippi, one of those two aforementioned states, it's perfectly legal to drink and drive (with an open container in your hand!) as long as you stay below 0.08 BAC. (Nit: it's legal at a state level but municipalities and counties are allowed to dictate more rules on drunk driving - most don't, but YMMV)

cosmodisk 3y ago
I suppose it still looks a little bit like this then: https://youtu.be/2xcQIoh3FQQ https://youtu.be/2xcQIoh3FQQ
madengr 3y ago
[dead]
refurb 3y ago
Except for the open container, most states allow you to legally drive with a BAC below a certain cutoff.
- brewdad 3y ago
  Not exactly. Most states, 0.08 or above is presumed guilty of DUI without any other impairment detected. You can still get a DUI with a BAC below 0.08 but it becomes a bit harder to convict since it becomes a function of the officer’s testimony and any physical tests administered before your arrest.
  - refurb 3y ago
    Right, it becomes a matter of impairment, not blood alcohol level. But you can certainly have one beer on an empty stomach, have a BAC of 0.04 and drive around. As long as you aren't visibly impaired, it's legal.
- blamazon 3y ago
  True true - but to drink and drive, in the most present tense form of the word drink, only in Mississippi!

calpaterson 3y ago

I don't know about America but in the UK people don't get their driving licence taken away that often, even if they have hit 12 points (ie: racked up enough offences to theoretically lose it). There is a lot of consideration as to whether removing the driving licence will cause hardship and defendants obviously usually argue that it will (with some truth) so judges sometimes don't remove the licence. Anecdotally, I feel like it's actually gotten less common over the years. When I was a teenager I would meet adults who were riding the bus because they'd had their licence taken away. Often it would be for a 6 month period before they could re-apply (without retaking the test). That became less frequent at some point.

arethuza 3y ago
I think there has been a huge cultural change in how people regard drink driving - I'm old enough (50s) when i was almost regarded as a subject for humour. Now I don't know anyone who doesn't take it very seriously indeed - particularly here in Scotland where the blood-alcohol limits are quite a bit lower for driving than in the rest of the UK.
- runarberg 3y ago
  I feel a similar cultural change in Iceland, however in USA I feel no such change, quite the contrary. Moving to the USA was honestly a bit of a culture shock in observing how commonplace the practice is. What was more shocking is observing a practice of strategic drinking, that is try to drink just the right amount to keep your blood alcohol level at the legal limit. I’ve never seen anything like that before I moved here.
  - rootusrootus 3y ago
    That will obviously vary quite a lot across a country the size of America. Local to me, DUI is extremely frowned upon. But yes, it is somewhat common for people to have an idea of what it takes to get to a BAC of 0.08%, because that is the threshold at which you will be charged with DUI. For many regular drinkers, they won't be impaired at 0.08% and it takes less alcohol than you think to get there. Especially with modern microbrew beers. Getting a DUI will completely f*ck over your life, so if you like to drink socially, you are very careful.

HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago

Good lawyers, basically. Either that or it's a small town and they know the right people. I know someone who was woken up by a State Trooper, fast asleep in her vehicle on the side of the road, with the engine running so it was obvious that she fell asleep while driving. It was by far not her first DUI. I assume that she lost her license after that, but I do know that she kept driving.

hiatus 3y ago
> I know someone who was woken up by a State Trooper, fast asleep in her vehicle on the side of the road, with the engine running so it was obvious that she fell asleep while driving. It doesn't sound obvious to me. If it was cold out, you would run the engine for heat for instance.
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  It may not be obvious she was in fact driving, but it'll get you a DUI charge every time. Hell, even if you're in the back seat sleeping it off you're likely to get a charge if you have the keys anywhere accessible (and sometimes, even if you don't).
  - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
    This is correct. I also neglected to mention that the car wasn't neatly pulled over onto the side of the road but had driven itself into the ditch between the road and a field.