I've seen it said that DUI and DUI deaths are increased in dry counties because people have to drive further to get their booze. Since moonshine will never go away my guess would be no, and it may be worse.If Alcohol was still illegal or prohibited would there be less wrecks and deaths from dui's?
I agree on all points. I have taken the keys away from some friends while out. They are usually mad at that moment but thanked me the next day. I knew a guy in college that thought he drove better drunk. Newsflash: he didn’t. I don’t have any contact with this person anymore. I do know he spent a night in jail because of his “better driving”. Making alcohol illegal will not magically make driving safer. There are worse distractions out there like cellphones. I know the show Mythbusters did a test between driving drunk and driving while on a cellphone. Driving while on a cellphone was worse according to the test. Georgia now has laws against driving while on a phone, it hasn’t stopped anyone from doing it. Do we next ban cellphones altogether?I think that getting a DUI is a product of making a bad decision. Personally, to be honest, I go drink far more often than I really should. However, I never leave my house to go drink without taking an Uber there and I get another to go home. One could argue my decision to drink is a bad one but at least I don't stack bad on bad by driving after I drink. I plan to do the smart thing ahead of time. Problem is too many people think they can drink and drive and be okay when they can't. Many rides home have been offered to me by people I would not dare get into the car with in their condition.
But I think the people that make the bad decision to drive when impaired would simply make some other bad decision instead if alcohol were illegal. And I will avoid the political statement about what could be legalized to make all this less of an issue.
Yah cellphones are the big one. Even trying to be practical in the car using like Waze or Google Maps is super risky My next vehicles will have bluetooth and a built in nav system to hopefully reduce my "need" to even touch the phone. As it is I only fool with it at stoplights - but even that is a risk. Can't tell you how many times I've had to sit through another light-cycle because some paragon of super-human focus was looking at their phone and not watching the light of the car in front of them.I agree on all points. I have taken the keys away from some friends while out. They are usually mad at that moment but thanked me the next day. I knew a guy in college that thought he drove better drunk. Newsflash: he didn’t. I don’t have any contact with this person anymore. I do know he spent a night in jail because of his “better driving”. Making alcohol illegal will not magically make driving safer. There are worse distractions out there like cellphones. I know the show Mythbusters did a test between driving drunk and driving while on a cellphone. Driving while on a cellphone was worse according to the test. Georgia now has laws against driving while on a phone, it hasn’t stopped anyone from doing it. Do we next ban cellphones altogether?
117 fatalities per 100,000 registered vehicles in 1930 vs 16 per 100,000 in 2007; maybe your buddy was right. Drink away!I agree on all points. I have taken the keys away from some friends while out. They are usually mad at that moment but thanked me the next day. I knew a guy in college that thought he drove better drunk. Newsflash: he didn’t. I don’t have any contact with this person anymore. I do know he spent a night in jail because of his “better driving”. Making alcohol illegal will not magically make driving safer. There are worse distractions out there like cellphones. I know the show Mythbusters did a test between driving drunk and driving while on a cellphone. Driving while on a cellphone was worse according to the test. Georgia now has laws against driving while on a phone, it hasn’t stopped anyone from doing it. Do we next ban cellphones altogether?
Might want to add a horn to your listYah cellphones are the big one. Even trying to be practical in the car using like Waze or Google Maps is super risky My next vehicles will have bluetooth and a built in nav system to hopefully reduce my "need" to even touch the phone. As it is I only fool with it at stoplights - but even that is a risk. Can't tell you how many times I've had to sit through another light-cycle because some paragon of super-human focus was looking at their phone and not watching the light of the car in front of them.
117 fatalities per 100,000 registered vehicles in 1930 vs 16 per 100,000 in 2007; maybe your buddy was right. Drink away!
MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC FATALITIES, 1900 - 2007
Though drinking would not be eliminated, I think it would be reduced like it was during prohibition so I'm saying yes to the original question. Really hard to imagine what it would be like after multiple generations would have lived through prohibition.
Year | Deaths | VMT- Vehicle miles traveled (billions) | Fatalities per 100 million VMT | Population | Fatalities per 100,000 population | Change (in percent) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | 41,501 | 2,632 | 1.58 | 270,248,003 | 15.3566 |
|
1999 | 41,717 | 2,691 | 1.55 | 272,690,813 | 15.2983 |
|
2000 | 41,945 | 2,747 | 1.53 | 282,216,952 | 14.8627 |
|
2001[SUP][2][/SUP] | 42,196 | 2,797 | 1.51 | 285,226,284 | 14.794 |
|
2002 | 43,005 | 2,856 | 1.51 | 288,125,973 | 14.926 |
|
2003 | 42,884 | 2,890 | 1.48 | 290,796,023 | 14.747 |
|
2004 | 42,836 | 2,965 | 1.44 | 293,638,158 | 14.588 |
|
2005 | 43,510 | 2,989 | 1.46 | 296,507,061 | 14.674 |
|
2006 | 42,708 | 3,014 | 1.42 | 299,398,484 | 14.265 |
|
2007 | 41,259 | 3,031 | 1.36 | 301,139,947 | 13.701 |
|
2008 | 37,423 | 2,977 | 1.26 | 303,824,640 | 12.317 |
|
2009 | 33,883 | 2,957 | 1.15 | 306,700,000 | 11.048 |
|
2010[SUP][2][/SUP] | 32,999 | 2,967 | 1.11 | 309,326,000 | 10.668 |
|
2011[SUP][6][/SUP] | 32,479 | 2,950 | 1.10 | 311,588,000 | 10.42 |
|
2012[SUP][7][/SUP] | 33,782 | 2,969 | 1.14 | 313,914,000 | 10.75 |
|
2013 | 32,893 | 2,988 | 1.10 | 316,129,000 | 10.40 |
|
2014 | 32,744 | 3,026 | 1.08 | 318,860,000 | 10.28 |
|
2015 | 35,485 | 3,095 | 1.15 | 321,370,000 | 11.06 |
|
2016[SUP][8][/SUP] | 37,806 | 3,174 | 1.19 | 323,121,000 | 11.59 |
|
2017[SUP][8][/SUP] | 37,133 | 3,213 | 1.16 | 325,719,000 | 11.40 |
|
I know three people involved in accidents since August - teens cause two, lady on cell caused the other.I have heard reports that the numbers of illegal immigrants who are driving has skyrocketed, many believe that is contributing to the number increase