Drunk Driver kills cyclist

How sad.  Prayers for the injured and the families.

Mark 

Ah wishing in one hand, crapping in the other, and seeing which fills up faster.  If we're starting a pool I'll say 5 years probation, 1 year suspended license, and a maybe some community service.  The civil suit where the family sues her for every penny she's ever made will hurt much worse.

bts 

When is this DUI crap gonna end?  If legislators had any balls, it would be a 10 year loss of license for the first DUI and a lifetime loss for a subsequent conviction.  I could be harsher, but I'm getting soft in my old age.

Big issue here in Wisconsin lately. I've lived in other states where the punishment was much harsher. I think there are a percentage of people that are problem drinkers or alcoholics and that they will choose to play Russian Roulette all the time regardless of punishments. However, for the social drinker if there were stiff financial penalties and possible jail time, they may not risk it. I like this one for a repeat offender - some sort of plaque put on their license plate that states in neon - "Repeat Offender" ... would go over really well when driving the kiddos to school or showing up at the company picnic. Shame and financial damages seem to work best and most people would opt NOT to drink or find other drivers if faced with harsher punishments. And ultimately, there needs to be a shift within our culture and how it views drunkeness and its ramifications when it affects others.

Well, you've got my vote.

BUT, the greater societal problem is:

Driving a motor vehicle was once seen as a PRIVILEGE,

then it was seen as a RIGHT,

now it is seen as a NECESSITY.

Taking away someone's right to drive a motor vehicle is "taking bread out of their children's mouth" , how could I possible get to work without my car?

An acquaintance of mine recently had his license suspended for DUI. His response? Kept right on driving. Bernalillo County (Albuquerque) had a law a few years back that allowed them to impound your vehicle if you were caught driving under a suspended license. It was found to be unenforceable relatively quickly because everyone was able to demonstrate that "I can't get to work to feed my family and be a productive member of society without my car", and get a judge to make an exemption for their special case.

Bottom line is that our society is WAAAAY too dependent upon the individual automobile for transport in order to make a meaningful impact in the impaired driving problem.

I predict that it's just going to keep getting worse.

quote---

What you say is impeccably logical.

However, what's achievable politically is another matter entirely.

The necessity of operating a motor vehicle in order to survive in modern society has become axiomatic.

Again, you've got my vote, but politically it is unworkable.

Can't ride bike to work: too dangerous, too far, need to take kids to daycare or school, need to shop for groceries, etc.

No legislature will ever pass such a policy.

In my opinion, if you kill someone with a motor vehicle, you should, AT THE VERY LEAST, lose your licence for life!  The arguments that losing one's licence is a hardship because the person "riding a bike to work is too dangerous, too far, need to take kids to daycare or school, need to shop for groceries, etc.

• I rode a bike to work for 37 years and bussed when winter came along
• Whatever distance I had to go to work -- I moved around to different areas in that time -- soon became easy enough with practice
• It was dangerous at first, in the 70's especially because cyclists were open to abuse by motorists, but I learned to cope with traffic
• Walked the kids to daycare and school prior to leaving for work
• Did (and still do) the gorceries on foot or, when I only need a few items, I take the bike and wear a backpack.