The CDC reports that 68 percent of children killed in alcohol-related crashes in the United States between 1997 and 2002 were riding in the same vehicle as the drinking driver. Sixty-eight percent of the drinking drivers involved in these crashes survived, suggesting that many of the children might also have survived had they been properly restrained.
Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for children ages one year or older, and one in four of these crash deaths involve legally drunk drivers, according to the CDC.
Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for children ages one year or older, and one in four of these crash deaths involve legally drunk drivers, according to the CDC.
Well, in relative terms - for millions of Americans every single day, it is in fact No Big Deal to drive after using alcohol.
But for those who do suffer something negative, it's far, far more likely they are the ones harmed via arrest or injury/death than it is they harm someone else
Thus my counsel is don't drive after drinking because it's safer for YOU. I figure it's kinda bogus to bring up the incredibly long odds you might harm someone else.
one more story before I go to bed
Doroteo Hernandez
VideoDriver Pleads Guilty to Running Down Pedestrian
Related StoriesAttempted Murder Charge Filed in Road Rage Incident
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Driver Pleads Guilty to Running Down Pedestrian
Raleigh, N.C. — A Raleigh man pleaded guilty Monday to trying to run over a pedestrian who yelled at him to slow down.
Doroteo Calles Hernandez, 23, of 605-A Charleston Road, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill, hit-and-run and driving while impaired. He was originally charged with attempted murder but pleaded guilty to the assault charge as part of a deal with prosecutors.
David Barber, 51, told police he and his girlfriend were walking their dog in the area of Jeffries Street and Dana Drive in southwest Raleigh on March 17 when a vehicle sped past and he yelled at the driver to slow down.
The driver circled the block and returned to run him over, Barber said.
The driver left the scene, but not before losing control and hitting a tree. The damaged car left a trail of leaked fluid from the scene of the attack to Hernandez's apartment less than a mile away.
Barber suffered two bones broken in his leg and said he continues to undergo physical therapy.
Still, Barber and his girlfriend, Cissy McKissick, said in court Monday that they have no ill will toward Hernandez and hope he turns his life around.
"Hopefully, he will get the help he needs to deal with his anger and any drinking problem he might have," Barber said. "He just was a good kid that did the absolute worst thing someone could do. And why he did that, he needs to figure that out. Everybody deserves one chance."
"I wish to let him know that I bear him no ill will and that I hope desperately that he doesn't allow this to be the pattern for his life," McKissick said.
Defense attorney Mike Klinkosum said Hernandez is a good person who made a bad choice.
"He got scared and he left and then he immediately came back, and one of the first things that he admitted to was that he was the driver of the car," Klinkosum said.
Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway sentenced Hernandez to 31 to 47 months in prison on all charges, with the sentences to be served at the same time.
Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have placed a detainer on Hernandez, who is in the country illegally. After his prison sentence is over, ICE agents will deport him.
Doroteo Hernandez
VideoDriver Pleads Guilty to Running Down Pedestrian
Related StoriesAttempted Murder Charge Filed in Road Rage Incident
Site Search
Driver Pleads Guilty to Running Down Pedestrian
Raleigh, N.C. — A Raleigh man pleaded guilty Monday to trying to run over a pedestrian who yelled at him to slow down.
Doroteo Calles Hernandez, 23, of 605-A Charleston Road, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill, hit-and-run and driving while impaired. He was originally charged with attempted murder but pleaded guilty to the assault charge as part of a deal with prosecutors.
David Barber, 51, told police he and his girlfriend were walking their dog in the area of Jeffries Street and Dana Drive in southwest Raleigh on March 17 when a vehicle sped past and he yelled at the driver to slow down.
The driver circled the block and returned to run him over, Barber said.
The driver left the scene, but not before losing control and hitting a tree. The damaged car left a trail of leaked fluid from the scene of the attack to Hernandez's apartment less than a mile away.
Barber suffered two bones broken in his leg and said he continues to undergo physical therapy.
Still, Barber and his girlfriend, Cissy McKissick, said in court Monday that they have no ill will toward Hernandez and hope he turns his life around.
"Hopefully, he will get the help he needs to deal with his anger and any drinking problem he might have," Barber said. "He just was a good kid that did the absolute worst thing someone could do. And why he did that, he needs to figure that out. Everybody deserves one chance."
"I wish to let him know that I bear him no ill will and that I hope desperately that he doesn't allow this to be the pattern for his life," McKissick said.
Defense attorney Mike Klinkosum said Hernandez is a good person who made a bad choice.
"He got scared and he left and then he immediately came back, and one of the first things that he admitted to was that he was the driver of the car," Klinkosum said.
Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway sentenced Hernandez to 31 to 47 months in prison on all charges, with the sentences to be served at the same time.
Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have placed a detainer on Hernandez, who is in the country illegally. After his prison sentence is over, ICE agents will deport him.
as one who has driven after drinking...i now think back and am grateful that i never hurt nobody...i have lost probably 10 friends in my life due to drinking and driving and one night drove up on one wreck where 6 people were killed on their way home from a concert in 1982...
whatever floats your boat barman...you got a problem with the police...here's an idea?don't break the law and you don't have to worry about them..
whatever floats your boat barman...you got a problem with the police...here's an idea?don't break the law and you don't have to worry about them..
I didn't say you're safer if you drive after drinking.
I said your biggest danger is by far (at least 350x) that you will be the one harmed - not someone else.
Thus the more sensible and truthful message for the public at large is, "Don't Drink and then Drive - For Your Own Sake", rather than some violin-laden rap about how some kids might die.
Hasn't happened in a while, but I've had it said to me when I remark that I personally won't drive if impaired by alcohol use, "Good thinking. You might have hurt someone"
My response, "To hell with someone else. I don't drive while impaired by alcohol because I'm protecting my own damn self"
My response, "To hell with someone else. I don't drive while impaired by alcohol because I'm protecting my own damn self"
Barman, terrible terrible terrible arguement.... disgraceful
It doesn't matter if most people who drive drunk don't kill anyone... like you said 3 people a die die in florida,, 3 to many when it is COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE if you take a little responsibility..
If you drink and drive you may not hurt anyone but you're increasing your chances by a hell of a lot than if you were driving sober... thats enough in itself...
It doesn't matter if most people who drive drunk don't kill anyone... like you said 3 people a die die in florida,, 3 to many when it is COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE if you take a little responsibility..
If you drink and drive you may not hurt anyone but you're increasing your chances by a hell of a lot than if you were driving sober... thats enough in itself...
No you're not.
It's reasonable to state that on any given day in Florida there's at least two million people (out of a drinking population of about 12million) who drive after using alcohol.
Since we know that over half of the 3perday killed are the drivers themselves, that leaves just over one person a day killed by a driver who had alcohol in his system.
On that same day, at least 1,999,999 other drivers with alcohol in their systems killed no one.
===
I fully encourage driving sober.
But do it because the main person you're protecting is yourself, not out of any misguided sense that you're protecting someone else.
The national advertising campaigns running in the past couple years even understand this dichotomy.
We've all seen the television spots and heard the radio spots.
Do they warn, "Don't drive drunk because you could kill someone?"
No
They warn (quite sensibly), "Don't drive drunk or you will get pulled over, arrested and taken to jail where you will face criminal charges."
The first poster in this thread even took that stance essentially. He warned, "Don't drive drunk on St Patricks Day because the chances of being pulled over and arrested are increased"
Good advice and certainly more persuasive than blaring some two million to one fear that you're going to kill someone other than yourself
We've all seen the television spots and heard the radio spots.
Do they warn, "Don't drive drunk because you could kill someone?"
No
They warn (quite sensibly), "Don't drive drunk or you will get pulled over, arrested and taken to jail where you will face criminal charges."
The first poster in this thread even took that stance essentially. He warned, "Don't drive drunk on St Patricks Day because the chances of being pulled over and arrested are increased"
Good advice and certainly more persuasive than blaring some two million to one fear that you're going to kill someone other than yourself
Bar I think you're way off base here.
I'm speaking as someone whose life was changed forever by a drunk driver. I've lost most of the use of my left arm. I was very lucky to have survived. He walked away without a breathalyzer [it was 1983 and he knew the cop] but my investigator found out how many he had at the watering hole.
The bastard drove straight up the center of a one lane bridge upon which I'd arrived first. I never had a chance. He stood over me in the road calling me a mfer as I lay bleeding from my head, hip, and elbow. Fortunately another car pulled behind me with 2 friends I had graduated highschool with 5 years ago [Bob I'm sorry I bled all over your car. Jill I'm sorry I bled all over you]!
To this day I still have pain and arthritis from a shattered ulna, a mangled wrist, and a broken hand [and not the same hand as the arm with shattered elbow]! My next elbow surgery will be my 8th. Another 5 degrees of motion to lose and my DJ career is done.
Oh yeah, I sued the guy. He had 15K worth of coverage. I had 100/300. If he had nothing I would have collected on my policy. But Underinsured Motorist Protection did not exist in 1983. I had State Farm. SO DID HE! How much do you think they wanted to help me out?
So I traded my arm for 15,000 dollars. That was my first Bankroll.
I'm speaking as someone whose life was changed forever by a drunk driver. I've lost most of the use of my left arm. I was very lucky to have survived. He walked away without a breathalyzer [it was 1983 and he knew the cop] but my investigator found out how many he had at the watering hole.
The bastard drove straight up the center of a one lane bridge upon which I'd arrived first. I never had a chance. He stood over me in the road calling me a mfer as I lay bleeding from my head, hip, and elbow. Fortunately another car pulled behind me with 2 friends I had graduated highschool with 5 years ago [Bob I'm sorry I bled all over your car. Jill I'm sorry I bled all over you]!
To this day I still have pain and arthritis from a shattered ulna, a mangled wrist, and a broken hand [and not the same hand as the arm with shattered elbow]! My next elbow surgery will be my 8th. Another 5 degrees of motion to lose and my DJ career is done.
Oh yeah, I sued the guy. He had 15K worth of coverage. I had 100/300. If he had nothing I would have collected on my policy. But Underinsured Motorist Protection did not exist in 1983. I had State Farm. SO DID HE! How much do you think they wanted to help me out?
So I traded my arm for 15,000 dollars. That was my first Bankroll.
