Cars with Built-In Breathalyzers

[flatbed]

Apparently there are a few bills going through congress at the moment to get in-car breathalyzers mandated for every vehicle, whether you are guilty of DUI/DWI or not.

I am a strong advocate to get drunk drivers off the road but I don't know about my stance on passing this for a law or not. I'm thinking there could be several ways for drunks to get around the breath test anyway (like have someone else breath into it), and what if it mistakes something in your breath for alcohol and you're locked out of your car.

Anyone else have concerns or opinions about this issue?

 

[Dodge Doll]

Technology is no replacement for responsibility. A mechanically minded person with a drinking problem would be likely to disable such a device, anyways.

Having been touched by loss due to a drunk driver, I'm vehement in my stance about the subject: legal limits need to be set for the entire COUNTRY, not on a state by state basis. Repercussions need to be stiffer, too: get the pot-smokers the Hell out of the criminal system, they're getting more time than the dude that smokes into innocent drivers, and I'll argue which is the greater harm.

 

[mkp3]

I am all for this, esp. for repeat offenders. It could very well saves the lives of how many? I mean unless someone plans to sell their car to someone who does not have a drinking problem I do not really see any issues with it.

 

[flatbed]

Dodge, I so agree with you about taking a tougher stance against drunk drivers. I live in a state that I consider extremely lenient and it's frustrating to hear about a driver who's killed someone when they've had prior arrests for DUI. We just need to get them off the road. If installing Breathalyzers in all cars will make a difference then I'm all for it. Seems that checkpoints really haven't made an impact.

 

[Dodge Doll]

Hmmm, I came up with another argument for the "against" side: let's talk job-loss in the law enforcement sector. Wouldn't those vehicles so equipped cost the local PD's jobs?

And given the economy, is that wise?

 

[flatbed]

I don't know if it would cost jobs, I think it would actually free up the PD's time so they could go a fight legitimate crime instead of having to waste their time dealing with drunk drivers all the time.

 

[Dodge Doll]

Canada just jailed a man with repeated DUI convictions, this guy had more than a dozen to his credit and still didn't get it.

For folks like him, I can see where the technology would be appropriate.... it makes me wonder if owning such a vehicle should be mandatory, post-conviction? Judges used to be able to give choice of sentencing: 1 yr in the pokey or a stint in the Service, it was up to the convicted to choose.

While I'm sure human rights activists would disagree, it might have a place in that situation: you lose that right of privacy and must only drive a vehicle so equipped. Get busted driving one that isn't, and/or impaired, and get the same sentence as a pot smoker.

Sh*t, we'd have to build more jails!

 

[66Notchback]

Vietnam. Yes, Judges did do that, once upon a time: I wish it would come back, in truth.

Dodge Doll, you make an interesting point about post-conviction and loss of rights as a result, but that is a can of worms involving personal freedoms and the Charter of Rights that could keep the Supreme Court busy for decades.

 

[Crissy]

I agree with flatbed. It will not cost anyone their jobs, but help police focus on other criminals that tend to get past the system because there are not enough cops to do the job.

I think this is a great idea! We need to find ways to keep people off the road if they have been drinking. If this could save even one person's life, then it is well worth it. About the rights of freedom, I think the right of freedom to live outweighs someone's "right" of freedom to drink and then get behind a wheel.

 

[flatbed]

Yes, they need to bring back the option of military service, I think that's a great idea and would let some of these criminals maybe regain some of the human dignity they've lost along the way? Our prisons are so overcrowded here in CA that Gov. Schwarzenegger let I think approx. 150 out not too long ago because there was no room. Can you believe that? And I know a percentage of our overcrowding comes from DUI's. And we're housing a lot of other criminals that we have no business housing but I'm not going to go there because I don't think it would be considered politically correct.

 

[MaximumSpeed]

I think it is ok for people who have been convicted of DUI/DWI - but I think it is a bad idea for *all* vehicles. I am personally against any addition that might disable the vehicle due to the high possibility of malfunction.