Drinking and driving has been around as long as cars have been around. I've heard stories over the years of how back in the day, if you were pulled over and were drunk, police offficers would simply drive you home, follow you home, or in some cases tell you to drive safely. In the last 10 years or so, the problem has received more attention, and thus, has seen greater awarenss, education, and enforcement being put forward against it.
When trying to understand why people are still drinking and driving, there are many reasons this problem has not been solved. I would assume some people just don't care, in which you will never stop this type of person from drinking and driving. Some people say that since they only live one or two miles away, they will be able to make no home with no problems. A third hypothesis is that people don't want to leave their car behind, since they need it the next day, or don't want the hassle of retreiving it the next day. The latter two types of drunk drivers would hopefully consider a new solution to their problem. What if they could get home with their own car. How you ask? A new type of service is increasingly becoming the new standard in solving drinking and driving. It is the use of a designated driving service. Unlike a group of friends going out for a nite on the town, and the friend that drinks the least being picked as the designated driver, a service will actually provide a designted driver that hasn't drank, to drive them in their car home safely. No DWI, no accidents, no risking drinking and driving.
That brings us to the future of drinking and driving. A designated driver service is the 1st real solution to the problem of drinking and driving. Why do some people drink and drive?...They need their car home you say....and theres a service that will drive you and your car home safely? Designated Drivers Across America is quickly expanding throughout the country, and making sure there is no future for drinking and driving.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, November 30, 2009
NY DWI offenders now face toughest penalties in nation
NY DWI offenders now face toughest penalties in nation
By John Purcell
Gov. David A. Paterson signs Leandra’s Law last Wednesday as lawmakers and Lenny Rosado, second from left, looks on. Rosado held a picture of his daughter Leandra who the law is named for. The girl was killed in a drunk driving accident by a mother who was driving several children to a slumber party. Photo by Elyse Mickalonis, Gazette photo.
November 23, 2009
Not only will drunk drivers who have a child passenger face more stringent penalties, but all convicted DWI offenders will also face stricter punishments under a new law Gov. David A. Paterson signed last Wednesday.
The bill (A.40008/S.66008, Governor's Program Bill 204) known as "Leandra's Law" is aimed at preventing the death of child passengers, anyone 15 years old or younger, due to the driver being intoxicated. Leandra Rosado was an 11-year-old who died in a drunk driving accident.
In October, Leandra was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by the mother of another girl. The 31-year-old woman was drunk and flipped her car over on the Henry Hudson Parkway.
"On the night of Oct. 11, I lost my only child — as a single parent she was my heart, my soul and my best friend," said Leandra's father, Lenny Rosado, as his eyes began to swell with tears at Paterson's bill-signing event. "And the day after I made the decision that I don't want to see no parent or grandparent lose their child the way I lost my child to someone who is very reckless and negligent in driving off in a vehicle with my daughter and six of her friends."
Sen. Martin Malave Dilan, D-Brooklyn, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and sponsor of the Senate bill, said in a statement, "The passage of Leandra's Law was a concerted effort in the Senate that broke through political barriers for the good of all New York families."
This legislation increases penalties for driving drunk with a child passenger from a misdemeanor to a Class E felony and increases the maximum jail time from one year in jail to four years. In a case where a DWI causes a serious injury to a child passenger, the legislation increases the offense from a Class E felony to a Class D felony and brings a maximum prison sentence of seven years.
Driving recklessly while intoxicated and causing serious injury to a child passenger will become a Class C felony under the bill and hold a new maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Also, if a death is caused to a child passenger by an intoxicated driver the offense will be a Class B felony with a maximum prison sentence of 25 years — previously the maximum sentence for such a crime was seven years.
Another requirement under the bill is for all convicted DWI offenders to install an ignition interlock device, a breathalyzer tied to a car's ignition system, on top of current penalties.
The device won't let drivers start their vehicle if their blood alcohol content is above the legal limit. If a convicted driver tries to bypass, tamper, or get another person to use the interlock device, they will be committing a crime.
Sarah Longwell, spokeswoman for the American Beverage Institute, is not pleased with the passage of this law, because of the mandate for all DWI offenders to install the ignition interlock device.
"What we oppose is taking away the discretion of judges in these cases of low BAC, first-time offenders," said Longwell. "We want judges to decide if someone is one sip over the legal limit whether or not they should have the ignition interlock."
She said someone is more dangerous while driving and talking on a cell phone than with a BAC of .08, but there is nothing similar to the ignition interlocks for cell phone or texting offenses.
Also, Longwell said, "We don't punish someone going 5 miles over the speed limit the same as someone going 30 miles over the speed limit."
After learning about Paterson signing the bill, Longwell said, "We will be working to convince all states that have low BAC offender mandates to replace them with high BAC and repeat offender mandates."
No lawmakers at the bill signing last Wednesday afternoon though hinted there would be any sign of watering down the new law.
"These are the types of penalties that this state has needed for a long time," said Paterson at the bill signing. "We have now given law enforcement officials the tools they need to keep people that act with such reckless disregard to human life off of the roadways of our state."
The bill passed in the Assembly 130-0 last Tuesday and was passed in the Senate last Wednesday unanimously also, with Gov. Paterson signing the bill later that day.
"I appreciate that everyone got together here, put aside all politics and bonded together as human beings, as parents and grandparents to make sure that we pass this bill and that from here on those that think it is okay to drink and drive with children in the car or not will pay the price," said Rosado.
"What we did today is a no-brainer," said Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, R-Merrick, a co-sponsor and early proponent of the legislation. "It was a common sense approach to protecting the lives of those defenseless kids who are in a car being driven by an irresponsible adult that has no business being and if they violate that law in New York state they are going to be severely punished."
Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, D-Long Beach, another early proponent of the bill, who was not able to attend the bill signing said in statement, "This bill is a reminder that too many children have been injured or killed because those who are responsible for protecting them sometimes ignore that commitment. Today, we send a message of deterrence, and if that message is not heeded, the punishment will now fit the crime."
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said during the bill signing that one of the things the state has had trouble dealing with is repeat DWI offenders and he thinks this bill will help solve that problem.
"You know that first person that makes a mistake the first time is one thing, but we really didn't have a real solution to deal with repeat offenders and I think this is where the interlocking device really will come in handy," said Kolb. "I think this is a tough bill, an extremely tough bill, but we have an extremely difficult problem to solve."
Mothers Against Drunk Driving had helped push for this legislation to be passed and was represented at the bill signing.
"Ignition interlocks are a proven technology that allows offenders to still be members of the community," said Michele Fonda, senior program coordinator for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving New York state charter office. "It allows them to drive to work, to school, to their place of worship –– they just can't drive drunk. This law, it can only save lives and we are so happy today."
Senate President Pro Tempore Malcolm A. Smith, D-St. Albans, said, "Clearly when it comes to the level of punishment and protection as being provided under this particular law, New York is leading the way."
Smith continued, "Lenny, I don't know how you stand here. I'm not sure as a father of a 16-year-old if I could be standing here if I had befallen the challenges you have."
Lenny Rosado said passage of this bill is not going to be the end to his fight.
"This is not going to be where I stop," announced Rosado. "I'm going to go out there and reach out to as many people as I can and educate them about the tragic, terrible disease we have out there when it comes to substance abuse of alcohol and drugs and driving under these influences and hopefully we can take it all the way up to the White House."
When Paterson was speaking to reporters after signing the bill, he hinted that there could be addendums to the legislation for wider use of the ignition interlocks in the future.
Paterson also said, "I dare say that everybody felt a spiritual connection to the victims and what we try to do in government, something that you can never count is the lives we save and that is what we are trying to do."
By John Purcell
Gov. David A. Paterson signs Leandra’s Law last Wednesday as lawmakers and Lenny Rosado, second from left, looks on. Rosado held a picture of his daughter Leandra who the law is named for. The girl was killed in a drunk driving accident by a mother who was driving several children to a slumber party. Photo by Elyse Mickalonis, Gazette photo.
November 23, 2009
Not only will drunk drivers who have a child passenger face more stringent penalties, but all convicted DWI offenders will also face stricter punishments under a new law Gov. David A. Paterson signed last Wednesday.
The bill (A.40008/S.66008, Governor's Program Bill 204) known as "Leandra's Law" is aimed at preventing the death of child passengers, anyone 15 years old or younger, due to the driver being intoxicated. Leandra Rosado was an 11-year-old who died in a drunk driving accident.
In October, Leandra was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by the mother of another girl. The 31-year-old woman was drunk and flipped her car over on the Henry Hudson Parkway.
"On the night of Oct. 11, I lost my only child — as a single parent she was my heart, my soul and my best friend," said Leandra's father, Lenny Rosado, as his eyes began to swell with tears at Paterson's bill-signing event. "And the day after I made the decision that I don't want to see no parent or grandparent lose their child the way I lost my child to someone who is very reckless and negligent in driving off in a vehicle with my daughter and six of her friends."
Sen. Martin Malave Dilan, D-Brooklyn, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and sponsor of the Senate bill, said in a statement, "The passage of Leandra's Law was a concerted effort in the Senate that broke through political barriers for the good of all New York families."
This legislation increases penalties for driving drunk with a child passenger from a misdemeanor to a Class E felony and increases the maximum jail time from one year in jail to four years. In a case where a DWI causes a serious injury to a child passenger, the legislation increases the offense from a Class E felony to a Class D felony and brings a maximum prison sentence of seven years.
Driving recklessly while intoxicated and causing serious injury to a child passenger will become a Class C felony under the bill and hold a new maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Also, if a death is caused to a child passenger by an intoxicated driver the offense will be a Class B felony with a maximum prison sentence of 25 years — previously the maximum sentence for such a crime was seven years.
Another requirement under the bill is for all convicted DWI offenders to install an ignition interlock device, a breathalyzer tied to a car's ignition system, on top of current penalties.
The device won't let drivers start their vehicle if their blood alcohol content is above the legal limit. If a convicted driver tries to bypass, tamper, or get another person to use the interlock device, they will be committing a crime.
Sarah Longwell, spokeswoman for the American Beverage Institute, is not pleased with the passage of this law, because of the mandate for all DWI offenders to install the ignition interlock device.
"What we oppose is taking away the discretion of judges in these cases of low BAC, first-time offenders," said Longwell. "We want judges to decide if someone is one sip over the legal limit whether or not they should have the ignition interlock."
She said someone is more dangerous while driving and talking on a cell phone than with a BAC of .08, but there is nothing similar to the ignition interlocks for cell phone or texting offenses.
Also, Longwell said, "We don't punish someone going 5 miles over the speed limit the same as someone going 30 miles over the speed limit."
After learning about Paterson signing the bill, Longwell said, "We will be working to convince all states that have low BAC offender mandates to replace them with high BAC and repeat offender mandates."
No lawmakers at the bill signing last Wednesday afternoon though hinted there would be any sign of watering down the new law.
"These are the types of penalties that this state has needed for a long time," said Paterson at the bill signing. "We have now given law enforcement officials the tools they need to keep people that act with such reckless disregard to human life off of the roadways of our state."
The bill passed in the Assembly 130-0 last Tuesday and was passed in the Senate last Wednesday unanimously also, with Gov. Paterson signing the bill later that day.
"I appreciate that everyone got together here, put aside all politics and bonded together as human beings, as parents and grandparents to make sure that we pass this bill and that from here on those that think it is okay to drink and drive with children in the car or not will pay the price," said Rosado.
"What we did today is a no-brainer," said Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, R-Merrick, a co-sponsor and early proponent of the legislation. "It was a common sense approach to protecting the lives of those defenseless kids who are in a car being driven by an irresponsible adult that has no business being and if they violate that law in New York state they are going to be severely punished."
Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, D-Long Beach, another early proponent of the bill, who was not able to attend the bill signing said in statement, "This bill is a reminder that too many children have been injured or killed because those who are responsible for protecting them sometimes ignore that commitment. Today, we send a message of deterrence, and if that message is not heeded, the punishment will now fit the crime."
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said during the bill signing that one of the things the state has had trouble dealing with is repeat DWI offenders and he thinks this bill will help solve that problem.
"You know that first person that makes a mistake the first time is one thing, but we really didn't have a real solution to deal with repeat offenders and I think this is where the interlocking device really will come in handy," said Kolb. "I think this is a tough bill, an extremely tough bill, but we have an extremely difficult problem to solve."
Mothers Against Drunk Driving had helped push for this legislation to be passed and was represented at the bill signing.
"Ignition interlocks are a proven technology that allows offenders to still be members of the community," said Michele Fonda, senior program coordinator for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving New York state charter office. "It allows them to drive to work, to school, to their place of worship –– they just can't drive drunk. This law, it can only save lives and we are so happy today."
Senate President Pro Tempore Malcolm A. Smith, D-St. Albans, said, "Clearly when it comes to the level of punishment and protection as being provided under this particular law, New York is leading the way."
Smith continued, "Lenny, I don't know how you stand here. I'm not sure as a father of a 16-year-old if I could be standing here if I had befallen the challenges you have."
Lenny Rosado said passage of this bill is not going to be the end to his fight.
"This is not going to be where I stop," announced Rosado. "I'm going to go out there and reach out to as many people as I can and educate them about the tragic, terrible disease we have out there when it comes to substance abuse of alcohol and drugs and driving under these influences and hopefully we can take it all the way up to the White House."
When Paterson was speaking to reporters after signing the bill, he hinted that there could be addendums to the legislation for wider use of the ignition interlocks in the future.
Paterson also said, "I dare say that everybody felt a spiritual connection to the victims and what we try to do in government, something that you can never count is the lives we save and that is what we are trying to do."
Monday, October 12, 2009
Athletes and Drinking and Driving
MIAMI — A Miami television station and newspaper are reporting that blood tests show that Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth was driving drunk when he fatally struck a pedestrian last weekend.
WSVN-TV reported Thursday that unnamed sources with knowledge of the investigation say that Stallworth’s blood-alcohol level was between .08 and .16. The legal limit is .08. The Miami Herald also reported Thursday that an unnamed source says Stallworth’s blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit.
The Miami Beach Police Department is refusing to confirm the reports.
No charges have been filed against the 28-year-old Stallworth. Neither his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, nor his attorney, Robert Switke, returned calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Victim Mario Reyes died Saturday after being struck by Stallworth’s Bentley at 7 a. m. He had just finished an overnight shift at the Port of Miami and was walking to a bus stop.
WSVN-TV reported Thursday that unnamed sources with knowledge of the investigation say that Stallworth’s blood-alcohol level was between .08 and .16. The legal limit is .08. The Miami Herald also reported Thursday that an unnamed source says Stallworth’s blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit.
The Miami Beach Police Department is refusing to confirm the reports.
No charges have been filed against the 28-year-old Stallworth. Neither his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, nor his attorney, Robert Switke, returned calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Victim Mario Reyes died Saturday after being struck by Stallworth’s Bentley at 7 a. m. He had just finished an overnight shift at the Port of Miami and was walking to a bus stop.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Costs of a DWI
A night out to dinner and only having 2 drinks puts you at risk for a DUI. According to the Erie County Stop-DWI Program, below are the costs of a DWI:
Attorney FeesAttorney Fees to contest a typical DWI with no crash: $ 2500.00*Triple that for a charge in which someone is injured or killed
Insurance Pool SurchargeThree Year minimum: $4500.00*This is added to your current insurance cost.
Also, low cost insurers will not write insurance for DWI offenders so you’ll have to use an insurance company that charges higher rates.Additional Insurance Cost: $1500.00
FinesDWI Fines Range from $300 - $5000.Average: $500.00
Alcohol Evaluation / Treatment$500.00
Minimum Cost = $9,500
Using a Designated Driver such as a friend or family member that has not been drinking or a service such as Desigated Drivers of Buffalo will guarantee you will not get a DWI.
Attorney FeesAttorney Fees to contest a typical DWI with no crash: $ 2500.00*Triple that for a charge in which someone is injured or killed
Insurance Pool SurchargeThree Year minimum: $4500.00*This is added to your current insurance cost.
Also, low cost insurers will not write insurance for DWI offenders so you’ll have to use an insurance company that charges higher rates.Additional Insurance Cost: $1500.00
FinesDWI Fines Range from $300 - $5000.Average: $500.00
Alcohol Evaluation / Treatment$500.00
Minimum Cost = $9,500
Using a Designated Driver such as a friend or family member that has not been drinking or a service such as Desigated Drivers of Buffalo will guarantee you will not get a DWI.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Designated Drivers of Buffalo
Have you ever been at a bar, restaurant, or party drinking and know you shouldn't drive home? The obvious consequences are quite risky, did you even consider them? A DWI could cost you thousands in legal fees and fines, an accident that could have taken your or someone elses life. The risk is high, so why do so many people still choose to drink and drive? There could be several factors in why we choose to drive drunk, but one of those reasons seem to be a very important factor in driving drunk: not wanting to leave your car behind! Will you pay for a taxi to pick you up and then pay them again to get your car? How would you get it the next day? Will you risk leaving your car to getting vandalized, theft, parking tickets, etc. Well there is a alternative solution that recently hit the scene. The company Designated Drivers of Buffalo has solved this problem of risking drinking and driving because you don't want to leave your car. This company will actually drive you home in your own car! For a fare similiar to a taxi, you dont risk dinking and driving, you get your car home, and you wake up, look out the window, and presto, your car is there! This is a community service and will surely help to reduce the number of people that drink and drive. If you would like more information call (716) 713-7703 or visit www.DDoBny.com.
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