pchak

While I don't condone DUI, these plates are a political boondoggle. Ohio has them (everyone refers to them as "Party Plates") in Gold w/red letters (as an aside, my Rover had a NM plate on it, and someone from a distance thought that I had the DUI plate. It kinda looks that way, and even has a little "shot glass" on it). You're supposed to get them on 2nd + offense, but one judge in a nearby county awards them to even 1st offenders.

The problem is, it doesn't even faze the hard-core problem people. Two people in our area were just killed last week by a multiple (12-13?) offender.

I saw this morning that a judge in Scranton, PA(?) sentences offenders to no drinking. They have an anklet that infers BAL by someone's sweat. They drink-they go to jail.

John H

Ohio has yellow plates for 1st timers. Every car in the owner's name gets them. So the wife or kids have the pleasure too.

Dan V

Multiple DUI offenders should be forced to ride the bus, not given a red tag.

Cy

Under the assumption that you're going to allow those people to drive, then the plate may not be a such a bad thing. I'm quite sure that your probability of being profiled as high risk by the police would increase substantially. However, as with many laws those with resources will avoid the consequences either on the front- or back-end.

Anyway, in my opinion until one of the key issues of transportation availability is addressed the DUI problem will continue. For example, in the suburban sprawl of metropolitan Atlanta there's no transportation option other than cars. Calling a cab on a Friday or Saturday night frequently yields a 30 min to 1 hour plus wait . . . if they show at all. A cab home from the "hot spots" to the area my parents live is $60 . . . and the same thing to pick up your car the next day. Flagging a cab on the streets can be very difficult or impossible depending on where you are. Mass transportation coverage is pathetic, at best. I certainly don't think these are excuses, however, it's definitely an environment that is going to tempt people behind the wheel.

And it's similar circumstances that force elderly people to continue driving far beyond when they should. Not everyone has the resources or desire to move into a planned community and they don't get help from family . . . but they also can't be expected to walk 5 miles to the grocery store.

In re DUI, I guess an easy and cheap alternative would be to increase the penalties to such a severe, unreasonable level that no one would dare drive after drinking. However, our society seems to have a penchant for protecting the guilty and not the victims and for developing penalties at a level that seem worth the risk/benefit. Sacrificing a few for the greater good just isn't palatable.

But then, there are also studies that show that using a cell phone while driving is comparable to having a few drinks. Yet, I'm guessing many that abhor DUI would probably have no problem calling their friends to talk about it while driving. People that kill someone because of a DUI are outcast . . . those that do the same thing because they were distracted were involved in an "unfortunate accident".

LuftKopf

How about "no plates?"

Honestly, I still don't know how the lobbyists can stem the tide.

The fact that there's an "acceptible" blood alcohol limit for getting behind the wheel at all is just incredible to me. Remove the variable from the equation.

That number should be 0.0 Lobbys are powerful but logic has to prevail one day.

Rick Lee

We will never have a 0.0 BAC law here, so that's a non-starter. Every state has their own laws for this. Some are draconian and some are pretty lax. It ain't ever gonna be uniform. I became a member of the DUI club about 5 yrs. ago, I got a very sweetheart deal from the prosecutor and it still ran me about $5k. That's enough of a slap to keep me from ever doing it again, though I simply refused a breathalyzer, that I later learned (from my mandatory class) that I probably would have passed. Had it happened in VA today, that same infraction would have run me a good $18k over three years. I can't even imagine that.

lowblow

Hey, at least you'll know who to stay away from on the road!

mike

Rick Lee

WHo? The wife of a DUI convict, who's driving his car? I think drivers on cell phones are a far more foolproof way to identify whom you need to stay away from on the road.

993c2cab

Love it. Hope it goes through.

WesM951

They get Yellow and Maroon ones here in Ohio. It really makes people stand out, because you know instantly what it means.

Edgy01

These people should not be GETTING red plates or any other PLATE. They should be MAKING plates.

Dan

brucec59

Forget the plates - make 'em wear RED ARMBANDS! That's after they've done their very, very long sentence.

Bull

In Oregon they used to require people to go on an Anabuse program (maybe still do). All the hardcore did was knock everyone else out of the puke-for-distance contests!

dmcentee

Maybe a plate with 'a**hole at the wheel' would be more effective.

craig001

There was a program in a county south of Cleveland 20 years ago where the judge would give DUI offenders an orange license plate. This plate gave the law enforcenment officers carte blanche to pull the car over without any other reason than the car had these plates. I think it's a great idea and the "invasion of privacy" people can take a hike. The people that earn these plates are lucky to be even driving.

Another law once again 24 years ago in West Virginia was that if you let your insurance lapse, the insurance company notified the state and they came and took the plates off your car.

I don't know what it is today, but it seems that people want to let scofflows run rampent and and screw the folks that try to follow the rules.

I guess I am getting to be a real red-neck as I appproach the ripe age of 50.