4 Drunk Driving Arrest Driver Says Alcoholism A Disability-huh?

W

WhatInThe

Well-known Member
A Texas man has appealed his 4th drunk driving arrested saying it's a disability. He says DUI laws discriminate and alcoholics should fall under the Americans with Disability Act.

http://www.statesman.com/news/after...es-against-alcoholics/7M59MPAdu5WImE2s9tTuPP/

He says the .08 blood alcohol limit is too low for alcoholics. WTF!?!? There are states trying to lower that limit because buzzed driving is drunk driving. Also note one of his drunk driving offenses included a roll over accident.

Even IF he had "an issue" like many other medications or drugs alcohol should not be used with heavy machinery.
 

Alcoholism and other addictions are illnesses, extremely difficult but not impossible to cure. But to change the blood alcohol level because of that is plain ridiculous. This guy has proven several times he cannot drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

He can booze it up all he wants, just not drive. How do you stop these people?

They can't think clearly when they're drunk, grab their keys and off they go.
 
There are "alcohol detection" devices which can be installed in cars, which disable the ignition if the device detects alcohol. IMO, these devices should be Mandatory for anyone who is convicted of a DUI. If they have to wait several hours before they can get their car started, perhaps it will keep the roads safer if these people aren't smart enough to manage their addiction.
 

Don M. said:
There are "alcohol detection" devices which can be installed in cars, which disable the ignition if the device detects alcohol. IMO, these devices should be Mandatory for anyone who is convicted of a DUI. If they have to wait several hours before they can get their car started, perhaps it will keep the roads safer if these people aren't smart enough to manage their addiction.
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All of those devices I've heard about require someone to blow into a tube that detects the presence of alcohol. An alcoholic I know gets his neighbor kids to blow into the tube for him. Problem solved.
 
Yep, right. An addiction, ANY addiction is serious, but not a disability. I can empathize with how hard it is to make the appropriate lifestyle changes to overcome an addiction, but a disability? No. I feel I have been here long enough to report that I have had to overcome an addiction...to those damn lottery tickets. I have had to seek counseling, and go to group. I feel I have over come it, but to call it a disability? NOPE. Damn, really?
 
Don M. said:
There are "alcohol detection" devices which can be installed in cars, which disable the ignition if the device detects alcohol. IMO, these devices should be Mandatory for anyone who is convicted of a DUI. If they have to wait several hours before they can get their car started, perhaps it will keep the roads safer if these people aren't smart enough to manage their addiction.
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His car should be impounded permanently to protect the public.
 
In today's high-tech world, we can probably require that anybody who has been convicted of drunk driving get their car fitted with a more sophisticated device than something that you just blow into. That's too easy to fool. Maybe a device that can detect the alcohol level in the person whose actual tush is on the driver's seat? Continuously, not just while getting the car started. If a high alcohol level is detected, the car should be impossible to drive.
 
SifuPhil said:
Or donate the rest to an addiction recovery organization.

Having lost a sister to a drunk driver, I have no pity for them.
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Ya know Phil, I did think of that but most people have a loan out on their vehicle. Without a car he may not be able to work for a while so the lien holder suffers. Unless there's a better way, like pay off the lien holder directly?

If he owns the car outright, yes- donate the proceeds as you mentioned.
 
RadishRose said:
Ya know Phil, I did think of that but most people have a loan out on their vehicle. Without a car he may not be able to work for a while so the lien holder suffers. Unless there's a better way, like pay off the lien holder directly?

If he owns the car outright, yes- donate the proceeds as you mentioned.
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Didn't think of the loan angle - thank you.

Circles within circles ... pebbles thrown into a pond ...
 
Our drunk driving laws, in most states, are a joke, and most of the DUI types get off with little more than a slap on the wrist. That is probably due to the fact that half of our politicians are probably borderline drunks, and are loathe to pass any laws that might come back to bite them. If a driver is pulled over for erratic driving, that is one thing....however, if that driver causes a wreck or a death, he/she should be charged with Assault, if they injure someone, and Manslaughter if they kill someone. Just letting them off with a fine, or a suspended license has proven to do little to reduce this dangerous behavior.
 
I knew someone, when I look back, that I think had a disability with alcohol. He couldn't go without it; couldn't stop. He would try to stop for a little while (couldn't go for long) and then go back to it. He had several extra large bottles of the hard stuff all the time in his apt. He was unable to do much of anything else but drink.

He died 2 weeks ago. :(He was on disability but not for alcoholism.
 
What does whether or not alcoholism is a disability have anything to do with driving privileges, anyway??

Blindness is a disability, but you can't get a driver's license if you are blind. Whether or not alcoholism is a disability, it is a condition that renders one unable to be trusted driving.

My sister had epilepsy though it has been many, many years since she has had a seizure. BUT, until she had gone a certain length of time without a seizure she could not get a driver's license.
 
Don M. said:
There are "alcohol detection" devices which can be installed in cars, which disable the ignition if the device detects alcohol. IMO, these devices should be Mandatory for anyone who is convicted of a DUI. If they have to wait several hours before they can get their car started, perhaps it will keep the roads safer if these people aren't smart enough to manage their addiction.
Click to expand...
I agree Don.
 
Smiling Jane said:
All of those devices I've heard about require someone to blow into a tube that detects the presence of alcohol. An alcoholic I know gets his neighbor kids to blow into the tube for him. Problem solved.
Click to expand...

Well only if the neighbor kids rode with him. My brother had t have one installed in his car. He not only had to breath into it before starting, but periodically during his drive it would beep and he had certain amount of time to pull over and sample. His ankle bracelet also alarmed when he arrived back home. There was also a device in the house that signaled his arrival to probation, the phone would ring and he had to sample then.

Any device can be defeated, but these are a good start.
 
I don't believe alcoholism is a disability or a disease. It's an addiction. A person must get themselves unaddicted. That's not an easy thing to do. Neither is surviving in prison or living with being responsible for a death. Not to mention divorce, destitution, ill health.
I wish people would choose to fight the addiction at all cost.
 
Driving is becoming more of a challenge every year. I used to be that a person didn't have to worry about distracted drivers other than weekend nights...when the bars were closing and the drunks were hitting the roads. Now, drunks are far less of a hazard than the cell phone addicts which are texting and driving at all hours. It seems that I can't drive more than a few miles without seeing someone drifting around on the road.
 

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