DUI Laws

1. DUI Penalties - Do We Need to Be Harsher? Even as DUI penalties become more harsh, people still drink and drive. Is the answer really stricter penalties when faced with the facts? Or should we take a different approach? According to an official government pamphlet put out by the Province of Ontario, "there are about 13,000 drinking and driving convictions recorded annually in Ontario." This number does not take into consideration the number of drunk drivers that are not caught, or, who are caught and manage to get off the charges. According to the Province of Ontario, the majority of the 13,000 annual convictions are first time offenders - perhaps they've driven impaired before, but have never been caught. Or perhaps one night, their judgment about their own impairment was - well - impaired and the did something they never thought they would do. Are harsh penalties truly the answer? Penalties that will wreak financial ruin on many, making them unable to work and earn an income? Or is there a better way to prevent drunk driving in the first place? Drunk driving is an interesting criminal offense in the sense that it's an illegal offense often without intent. In other criminal matters, the fact that someone was under the influence of alcohol is taken into consideration with regard to intent. The more alcohol a person may consume prior to engaging in a criminal activity is compared to the intent of a person who was sober and calculating before they committed the offense. It's recognized that alcohol can be a mitigating factor in determining intent. Yet, driving while impaired, there is no consideration that a person's judgment may have been impaired; simply having an impaired judgment and then getting behind the wheel is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions. Why not prevent it in the first place by making ignition interlocks mandatory in all vehicles? That way, the vehicle cannot be started unless a sober person blows into the ignition interlock prior to the vehicle being started. Years ago, there was a huge outcry from many circles when seatbelt laws came into effect, but for the sake of the greater good, and the fact that seatbelts saved lives, eventually seatbelt laws and safety requirements around seatbelt laws have become to be accepted. So why not legislate that all vehicles also have an additional safety mechanism - an ignition interlock - to ensure the driver is sober? It may not solve totally the problem of impaired or DUI driving, but if it substantially cuts down on the problem, then isn't worthwhile? Visit http://www.myduilaws.com for a look at the DUI laws in the state that you live in. We also look into the DUI Consequences. Where your awareness to Abide by the law abides