Alcohol Alert!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

It's Legal to Drink and Drive?

A common observation by people who are arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) is, “I didn’t know I was drunk”. That’s understandable when considering all the factors that influence a person’s level of intoxication after consuming alcoholic beverages. It’s further confused by the legal breath alcohol concentration (BAC) limits, which are currently .08 in all states.

The law essentially says that it’s okay to drink and drive as long as your BAC does not exceed a certain level. At the same time, we are bombarded with messages from authorities that say, “Don’t drink and drive.”

So, which is it…don’t drive if you’ve been drinking at all, or don’t drive if your BAC exceeds a certain percentage?

If the answer is don’t drive at all if you’ve had anything to drink, that would put a lot of bars, nightclubs, restaurants and other alcohol serving establishments in a difficult position. They would be serving alcohol to many of their patrons, knowing full well that a lot of them drove there, and will likely drive home.

It’s common knowledge – and common sense – that consuming any alcohol will impair a person’s senses to some degree.

So why the mixed message? Why not just make it illegal to operate a motor vehicle with any level of impairment?

If it’s okay to consume SOME alcohol and then drive, how are people to know what their level of impairment is? You can’t reliably judge BAC by looking at someone: “You better not drive Fred, you look like a .10…”

Many people, particularly experienced drinkers, can consume several drinks without experiencing any of the typical signs of impairment, yet would still be considered legally intoxicated.

Without banning all levels of blood alcohol concentration for people who drive, the only solution is to allow the alcohol consuming public the opportunity to test themselves. This is possible with hand-held or coin-operated breathalyzers. These alcohol testers make an interesting vending machine business, but they don't dispense anything except advice, i.e., "Do NOT drive!"

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Massive Jury Award in Drunk Driving Case

In a stunning court case in New Jersey, a jury recently ordered a beer seller to pay the family of a paralyzed girl a total of $135 million in damages.

In late January, in Superior Court in Hackensack, the jury ordered Aramark Corporation, the concessionaire at Giants Stadium to pay $75 million in punitive and $60 million in compensatory damages for selling alcohol to a visibly drunk fan.

The fan, Daniel Lanzaro, subsequently caused an accident that paralyzed 7 year old Antonia Verni of Cliffside Park.

The jury determined that Aramark willfully disregarded public safety when it sold beer to Lanzaro on October 24, 1999, despite his obvious intoxication. You can read more about the horrible tragedy here: Drunk Driving Tragedy

Perhaps if there had been an Alcohol Alert machine nearby, they could have directed him to test himself so he could see the extent of his impairment and make a better choice about drinking and driving, and reduce their liability in the process.

Imagine how many Alcohol Alert breath testing machines could be purchased for $135 million. Tens of thousands. That’s more than enough money to install one at every exit at every professional and college sports stadium in the United States.

Friday, January 21, 2005

May we offer a solution?

The lack of significant reductions in drunk driving deaths over the last several years has officials confounded and looking for solutions. Alcohol related crashes showed a steady decline for most of the last two decades, starting in 1981. This is attributed to increased awareness from publicity, greater enforcement efforts and penalties, and lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) thresholds across the country. Much of the credit for this progress can be given to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD).

But now that progress has stalled. Indeed, a Department of Transportation (DOT) memo states "2003 was the sixth consecutive year with no discernable progress in reducing alcohol related crashes and fatalities." Government drinking and driving statistics show that there were about 600 more deaths in 2003 than 1999, when a record-low 16,572 were killed in drunk driving crashes.

Officials and advocacy groups are in disagreement about what to do about it. MADD believes that the solution lies in increasing funding for publicity and more frequent sobriety checkpoints. However, the American Beverage Institute (ABI) disagrees, citing a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study suggesting that the reason the problem continues is due largely to those with alcohol-use disorders; so-called "chronic" offenders. The ABI argues that roving patrols are more effective.

According to the ABI, expensive PR campaigns, lower BAC arrest thresholds and sweeping roadblocks are no longer needed. They point out that since sobriety checkpoints are publicized in the media, drunks learn the locations and just drive around them.

If roving patrols are effective, perhaps it would be even more effective if the police just went directly to the source. They could wait outside bars and catch intoxicated drivers before they left the parking lot. Better still, they could stand right outside the bar and give breathalyzer tests to the patrons as they leave. Hmm…maybe someone could install a coin-operated breath alcohol tester right in the bar and let the patrons test themselves…

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Drinking and Driving can be Expensive

Not only do drunk drivers endanger the lives of innocent people and risk jail time, they also face significant financial penalties. In Iowa for example, the fees associated with an OWI are significant. According to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, typical OWI costs are as follows:

Vehicle towing and storage fee	$57
Driver's license reinstatement fee	$20
New driver's license	$23
Driver's license civil penalty	$200
Car insurance premium increase	$900
Interlock of "blow & go" device	$390
OWI penalty fee	$1,000
OWI classes	$250
OWI substance abuse evaluation	$45
Probation administration fee	$250
Attorney fees	$900
Missed Wages (5 work days)	$400
Total:	$4,435

And that's just for a first offense. These first timers also face 48 hours in jail, depending on the severity of the offense.

For a second offense, the OWI penalty fee increases to $1,500, and the jail time increases to 7 days. Third timers can expect a fine of $2,500, and 30 days to 5 years in jail.

That should make anyone stop and think. You could buy a good used car for that price. And you wouldn't have to go to jail.

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Olympic Star Phelps Sentenced for DWI

Olympics swimming star Michael Phelps had his day in court and was sentenced for driving while impaired.

Phelps was stopped in early November in Salisbury, which is southeast of Baltimore, by a Maryland state trooper who saw him run a stop sign in his 2005 Land Rover.

The 19-year old Phelps, pled guilty to driving while impaired, so prosecutors dropped the charges for underage drinking, running a stop sign, and driving under the influence.

The swimming champion was fined $250.00 and ordered to pay $55.00 in court costs. He was also ordered to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting, and to give speeches to students at three local schools about the dangers of alcohol.

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Feds Concerned about Stubborn Drunken Driving Rates

Troubled by persistent drinking and driving deaths in the US, the Inspector General of the Transportation Department's Office has embarked on a study of drunken driving and the effectiveness of recent efforts to reduce alcohol related fatalities.

Despite federally mandated lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) requirements across the nation and numerous local, state and federal anti-drunk driving programs, 2003 was the sixth consecutive year with no noticeable progress in reducing alcohol-related crashes and fatalities. And the Feds want to know why.

According to the NHTSA, 17,013 people died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in 2003. This means 40 percent of all traffic fatalities were alcohol-related.

The Transportation Department will study existing state and federal anti-drunk driving programs, and will compare drinking and driving problems in states with different enforcement policies, and calculate all the federal resources in use.

Site Map for Alcohol Alert

See a photo of the Alcohol Alert machine and some of its features.

An introduction to the Alcohol Breath Testing System.

The Alcohol Alert breath testing machine itself. - It talks. It makes money. It saves lives.

Shows how alcohol effects a person over time. You may be surprised!

A discussion of alcohol statistics in the US.

Great locations to place your machines and make money with alcohol testing.

Drunk driving death clock shows a running total of the drunk driving deaths in the US so far this year.

Take action against drunk driving - Help yourself and prevent drunk driving in your community with a talking alcohol breath tester.

A sad poem about drunk driving.

Drinking and driving statistics - from the most recent data available

Drunk Driving Statistics for 2001

Drunk Driving Statistics for 2000

Stop the madness! Help prevent drunk driving in your community. - Alcohol Alert home page.

Links to websites about alcohol, drunk driving and related information.

Learn how to make money from alcohol breath testing.

Form to request more information about this alcohol breath testing opportunity.

Another sad poem about drinking and driving.

A Flash based simulation of an actual Alcohol Alert breath testing machine.

Drunk driving, dram shop laws and alcohol testing with a breathalyzer.

Effects of drinking and driving in New Mexico

State alcohol related fatality rates:

Monday, December 27, 2004

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting our new blog.

We will be addressing drunk driving and alcohol related issues in this space--especially as they relate to the Alcohol Alert! system.

We welcome your input.