Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - N.D. worst for drunken drivng

N.D. worst for drunken drivng

Nov 27, 2008 - 04:06:19 CST

FARGO (AP) - North Dakota ranks as the worst state in the nation when it comes to drunken driving.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving say 48 percent of the state's traffic fatalities last year involved intoxicated motorists.

There were 53 drunken driving deaths in North Dakota last year. That is about the same number of fatalities as Utah, which has four times the population and ranked best in the nation in terms of drunken driving deaths.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving blames the lack of a law requiring convicted drunken drivers to install devices in their cars to prevent them from starting if the drivers drink too much.

Eight states have such laws.

News > State

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Comments

Swerving wrote on Dec 4, 2008 10:53 PM:

" Better Cab Service would be nice in bigger towns although i understand the cab companies dilema expand our buisness and let it sit dead for 5 days and then put it into action. The fact is people don't want to wait for a cab outside for an hour while it's cold outside. They should wait it is the smart thing to do but they are sitting there waiting then think screw it, I can make it. In smaller towns good luck no cabs people want to socialize and they end up driving after the bar. I have seen alot more people getting designated drivers and alot more that just don't come out anymore in small towns. I personally use college kids that don't drink I arrange a ride before I go out with a college or high school kid I know and they pick me up at one, I pay them well and they are happy to have the extra cash for a half hours work. "

Personal discretion wrote on Dec 4, 2008 10:26 PM:

" CH - Whose responsibility is it to make sure you have something to do? Are we going to make that the government's responsibility, also? There are some countries you could go live in and they would be happy to make sure you have plenty to do. "

Mike R wrote on Dec 4, 2008 8:56 PM:

" CH: OK, here it is - EXACTLY word for word from the handout material presented in class when police officers are trained in DUI detection and alcohol testing. "A person who drinks slowly - one drink an hour - will not become significantly intoxicated." Now I am not sure where your expertise comes from, but I will stand behind what I have been taught by professionals. Some people like to claim that you can get a DUI after 1 or 2 beers (and other urban legends). They do this most of the time to justify to other how they got thier DUI. I am here to tell you that no one has ever been convicted of DUI after 2 beers or because they had 4 or 5 beers (oner per hour) over the course of the night. One time, I did my own little test. I was off duty and went to the bar for 3 hours. I drank several drinks - to the point where I felt I would be easily over the legal limit. Then I called a fellow officer and had him test me. I tested just barely under the .08 BAC mark. I was amazed how much alcohol it actually takes get to this point. Don't let anyone tell you how they got busted after 2 beers. They had a LOT more than that. "

Change What We Can wrote on Dec 4, 2008 7:40 PM:

" Here are some words to ponder... There are many causes of death in the world that cannot be cured or controlled by our choices. We don't know why people have to die from cancers or other incurable diseases. Often times we say that if we could, we would do anything to help them or give them their lives back. Well....here is a cause of death that we can control. We can give people the chance to live without the fear of being killed by a person that decided driving drunk or even impaired was their only option. Don't the people killed, paralyzed, or hurt by the loss of loved ones due to drunken driving deserve to have the same concern that we give to the victims of incurable diseases? We can't give them their lives back, but we sure can prevent more lives lost.
Enjoy your occassional alcoholic beverage, even if it means becoming intoxicated. Don't enjoy getting behind the wheel of a loaded weapon, your car, and swinging it around not knowing whose life you may take or dramatically change. "

CH wrote on Dec 4, 2008 5:28 PM:

" I am not making Excuses, when you drink you are responsible no doubt about it. But if you want to bring the DUI rate down, if you want to bring the Death rate down. Provide people with options rather then just telling them to "To say no" or "just stay home". On a side note... I wonder how many people die in Deer related Accidents in ND each year??? Maybe we can lock up all the deer? "

care wrote on Dec 4, 2008 5:12 PM:

" to all making excuses: If you cause the death of a Mother or Father while driving after a few drinks, (let us hope this does not happen) but if it does: Will you stand in front of their child and look them in the eye and say, "My liver must not have been working properly." or "The cabs were not running?" This is not something you would say to that child as an excuse as to why their parents gone. Why are you saying it here. It is so irrelevent to this article. It makes me feel angry that people are talking like this. What is up North Dakota? "

krten wrote on Dec 4, 2008 5:00 PM:

" Hmm, so yeah, we have the nine-member anti-tobacco commission in place, where the dickens is the nine-member anti-alcohol commission? Oh, right, I forgot, tobacco is the greater evil killing off all our citizens. Sorry, carry on... "

CH wrote on Dec 4, 2008 4:56 PM:

" Kimberly M: Your right you can process one drink an hour. But after roughly 2 drinks the process slows. After 6 hours and 6 drinks your BAC will be over .08 for most people.

Look at all the people attacking me. Not every body works the same schedule. Often I work until 11 pm, so I can go to the bar for 2 hours. Have 3 beers and my BAC is over a .08. All I wanna do is call a cab when the weather is like today. Normally I walk. But I can't call a cab because there isn't one. Over 1/3 of our population in our state lives where a cab is not an option. Because there is no Cab service or not one open at that time. Not every one has some one to call for a ride.

I like how every one accuses me of drinking and driving. I usually walk or find a ride. More often then not I'm the DD. Not every one has that option or is that responsible. My whole point is to say the reason that we have a High DUI rate per Capita is partly due to the fact that there is no alternatives for many people, except to stay home.
To CH: BTW there is not to many family of 4 out visiting grandma at Midnite. I am going get sloppy drunk tonight. But I won't be driving, I can usually inconvenience some one else for a ride home. "

care wrote on Dec 4, 2008 4:19 PM:

" to Kimberly: It does not matter really what the human liver can do in regard to this article. Not everyone has a good liver and there is no "average person." Our liver is not operating the motor vehicle. Could we all stay on topic. The article is about the number of people that died last year in ND from drunken driving. Let us come up with some suggestions such as: play with your kids, go to a basketball game, invite your friends for dinner(no alcohol). Instead of ideas to prevent drunk driving, people are writing about how we can blame transportation, how the stats are skewed, or how much our liver can handle. Excuses like this are why we lead the nation in this and under age drinking. Alcohol is such a part of peoples lives around here I don't see this number dropping anytime soon. Sad! "

Mike R wrote on Dec 4, 2008 4:11 PM:

" Kimberly M. You are 100 percent correct. You could drink one drink every hour almost indefinitely without ever going over the legal limit. In fact (lets just say for the sake of arguement that you weigh 160 pounds), you could drink 3 drinks in the first hour alone and still be under the .08 mark. Once again that is according to a leading company that makes its money selling alcohol testing supplies to law enforcement - so I think they might know a thing or 2 about it. "

Kimberly M wrote on Dec 4, 2008 3:33 PM:

" The human liver (in someone with low tolerance even) can process one serving of alcohol per hour. One serving equals 6 oz of wine, 1 oz of liquor, or 12 oz of beer. (not sure on the beer one, I don't drink it) Take a human physiology class (or even a required server/bartender course) before you take you skewed rationalizations out on me. I used to bartend, so don't act like I'm uninformed. "

Planning wrote on Dec 4, 2008 3:31 PM:

" Here's how you plan for it CH: Get a ride home with someone who hasn't been drinking, and if everyone you plan on going out with that night is going to drink, maybe you could be the DD for once and drive them home. Nobody is twisting your arm that you have to drink! You have some choices to make, the first one is whether or not to drink. The second is, if you are going to drink, you better have made some arrangements to NOT drive yourself home. And if your biggest complaint is that the cabs don't run late enough you drive your drunken self home, then maybe you don't have to stay out so late, or get a job on that taxi service and work that late shift to drive all the drunk people home. "

To CH wrote on Dec 4, 2008 3:24 PM:

" CH it sounds like you got it all figured out. Because you can't call a cab it's ok for you to drive drunk. Right? So go out tonight or this weekend get sloppy drunk. Then get in your car and get into an accident, kill a nice family of 4 driving home from visiting grandma. Now when your found guilty in court you can tell the judge "Your honor I had to drive home drunk because there are no cabs to call". Then you can serve some time in prision for awhile and think about how you wished you would have made other plans on how to get home or maybe not have drank period. Stop making excuses for yourself because you can't call a cab. Do you know anyone else that maybe isn't as irresponsible as you that could give you a ride home. Or are you just to ignorant to give your keys up. "

CH wrote on Dec 4, 2008 2:49 PM:

" To CH: Poor Planning. If your on a Dart League, or a Pool League, or go for a drink or two after Basketball. You can end between 9:30 and mid night. Hhw do you plan for that?

701 483 5200 The Cabs number in Dickinson. Call them after 10 PM tonight Mountain time. See if they answer. Call them at 1:15 over this weekend. Get back to me with when they can pick a person up. Here is a hint. They won't answer... How about Call for a Cab in Wateford City, Hettinger, Beach, Steele, Vally City, or Hazen.... Get back to me with their hours.... "

care wrote on Dec 4, 2008 2:43 PM:

" I think this is worth repeating! 53 people died last year in ND, due to drunken driving. Yet, people continue to write here about stats and comparing the population in different states. Try explaining that to the Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents and Children whom lost loved ones due to drunk driving. This is something that can be prevented by a simple act of not getting behind the wheel after drinking! It's so simple. Yet some of you blame everyone and everything else. Some are here blaming the cab company and public transportation. Does it get anymore rediculous? WAKE UP ND!!! 53 people died in ND last year from Drunk Driving. This does not even include the people injured, killed or affected by alcohol and other drugs in different ways. Think!!! "

Economic Conservative wrote on Dec 4, 2008 1:50 PM:

" Interesting stats, similiar populations??? ND 639,000, SD 796,000, KS 2,775,000 and Nebraska 1,7774,000, even SD can't be considered similiar at 120% of the population of ND. Compare apples to apples which would only include Vermont as similiar in population to ND. "

CH wrote on Dec 4, 2008 1:35 PM:

" Stats: Omah Neb and Kansas City each have almost as many people as the State of North Dakota. You can also get 24 hour cabs and take buses on those towns. "

To CH wrote on Dec 4, 2008 1:32 PM:

" If you plan is call a cab and they "close early", which I highly doubt that they do, then I would think that its poor planning on your part for not knowing their hours of operation, or not paying attention to the time to make sure that you can get a cab ride home. Proper planning!!! "

care wrote on Dec 4, 2008 12:58 PM:

" 53 people in this state died last year due to drunken driving! Do people hear and see what this article is saying? It's not about if the stat is correct. It's not about how much alcohol you or someone else can drink. It's about death. Do you hear this North Dakota???? We also lead the nation in under age drinking. Since many many people are not able to quit drinking on their own because they are addicted we need those things that are put in vehicle that will not let them drive if they are impaired. For those of you who consider yourself "social drinkers" you are in the same boat or car(for that matter) as an "alcoholic" when it comes to getting behind the wheel. It does not matter if you are little Suzy weighing in at 100lbs and has three beers or big Dave who weighs 2301bs and had 5 beers. That is not the point! Don't drink and drive. Next question other than the fact that many who drink are just plane boring, Why do you drink????? "

CH wrote on Dec 4, 2008 12:45 PM:

" Kimberly M: 1 drink an hour... After 3 hours you are more then likely at a .08 after 2 hours you more slowly metabolism alcohol. So when your head light burns out on the way home after just 3 drinks enjoy your .08 DUI. Remember you should have planed ahead.

To CH: Your right its not Vegas. There you can walk with a drink. Guess what they don't as high of DUI rate. Thanks for proving my point.

When your plan is to call a cab, and they closed early and you live to far to walk, and have no one to call. What are your options? That is why it is unfair to compare us to states that are very urban. Have 24 hour cab service, and Mass Transport. Also to states that have high crime rates. Where the cops are not just driving the bars.... Here in Dickinson. We have had lots of break-ins. Are the Cops driving the industrial areas, the business areas, the edges of town. No they are on bar patrol. They only why these burglars are going to get caught is if they stop at the bar for a drink afterwords. "

stats wrote on Dec 4, 2008 12:35 PM:

" not that 111 deaths in ND is small by no means no one should die this way. Upon looking at the MADD website by state SD had 146, Kansas 416, Nebraska 256 just comparing to other states with the generally the same geographics and about the same population. "

Velvet wrote on Dec 4, 2008 11:27 AM:

" Mahonri, why even bother with jail? Why not just have the trooper shoot the person on the spot? Ask yourself this, In what other situation would someone face jail time over the possibility that someone could have been hurt by their actions? Should someone speeding automatically receive a one year jail sentence? What about an electrician who improperly wires a socket in someones house? The house could burn down and kill everyone inside. Does that mandate your sort of draconian punishment? Try thinking rationally first before spouting off. "

Mandan wrote on Dec 4, 2008 11:06 AM:

" Mike R. I have to agree with you about the statistics being skewed. It is true that any accident or fatality where there has been someone drinking whether under legal limit or over is categorized being alcohol related but another problem is that is anyone in the vehicle has been drinking it also seems to end up in the same category. I do not condone drunk driving but I do know that some f the other states I have lived in only count the ones that are above the legal limit and are the driver. Yes we have PER CAPITA too many drunk drivers but I doubt we would top that list if the statistics were accurate. But the problem with statistics is that they can be bent to prove whatever someone wants them to! "

BeFair Balanced wrote on Dec 4, 2008 10:43 AM:

" Statistics can be vague. Exactly what time of day did all these people die? How many died from a deer jumping out in front of them?
Exactly how much alcohol was in the blood of the people who actually crashed?
If we are talking about people with .20 blood alcohol crashing at midnight maybe we should state the facts clearly.
The roads are really empty here in North Dakota. In more crowed states you can follow some taillights home. Maybe we should only be compared to states with low traffic and lots of deer?
And maybe the real problem is that we all need speed governors on our cars so no one can go over 55 miles per hour.
At least put driving simulators in the bars so people know what speed it is that their intoxicated brain looses track of what is going on. Sometimes you just slow down a little and everything comes back in focus. "

Kimberly M wrote on Dec 4, 2008 10:27 AM:

" Seriously, why are people complaining about a lack of cabs or a DD? Plan ahead or, how about...DON'T DRINK! Personally, when I go out with friends I always keep it to one drink per hour so I KNOW I can still drive if I need to. It's called self-control. Don't justify your shortcomings so you think it doesn't look so bad when you actually do kill someone. I have been around alcoholics my whole life and, I'm sorry, I'm sick of the excuses. Why is drinking up so high on these people's priority lists?? It's pathetic. "

to you know why wrote on Dec 4, 2008 9:23 AM:

" If you can't think of something better to do in your spare time than drink, then all that tells me is that you don't have much of an imagination. No family oriented entertainment? Well then instead of cracking open another cold one and sitting on your front porch and complaining about it, go out and do something about it! "

getalife wrote on Dec 4, 2008 8:36 AM:

" Conservative Christian moral family values? What is generally passed around to drink during a church service? Wine! Does this make the church responsible for all the alcoholics? The answer is not to increase the penalties for those convicted, but in education. Even then people cannot be forced to learn. I believe the statistics are skewed. Alcohol related incident is different than DUI. You can have an alcohol related incident at home. You smartypants people with your "lose the drivers license for life" attitude, let me ask you this, are you willing to give a coworker a ride to work everyday because he don't have a driver's license or pay more for motor vehicle taxes and fees to support a larger public transportation system? "

snoller wrote on Dec 4, 2008 8:35 AM:

" The choice is the people's responsibility. The small towns in this state require about 5 -10 mile trips to and from the bar. What can we do, went to the bar had a few too many and drove home. Some make it and some don't. That's the way it is and that's the way it's going to be in the future. In Bismarck, I don't think there has been any alcohol related deaths in town, have there? How does a peace officer know if the driver is drunk out in the country? The driver may pass by an officer going the speed limit and a mile away he crashes and dies, it isn't the peace officers job. You can't correct stupidity. "

Walker wrote on Dec 4, 2008 6:21 AM:

" A read of many of the posts here tells a lot about our attitudes towards drunk driving and why ND has such a high rate. I can hardly believe the number of posts that in some way are defending drunk driving.

That's why we have the highest rate, folks. Around here a lot of people look at drunk driving like 'what's the problem?'. It's our attitude towards it that results in the statistics.

It's pretty simple. Drunk driving is a serious violation of the law for good reason. Everyone knows that and many just do it anyway. It's an attitude thing. "

To CH wrote on Dec 4, 2008 3:21 AM:

" CH do you think this is Vegas. You can't walk down the street with a beer period. why didn't you put the beer away or better yet never have taken it with you. Then you wouldn't have gotten a fine. But of course then you wouldn't have been able to come on here and give us your sob story of stupidity. "

you know why wrote on Dec 3, 2008 10:33 PM:

" because there is nothing else to do in this state but drink or farm.....and even the farmers drink!!!! no family entertainment centers no family oriented entertainment exists!!! and if its not drinking then its meth! you would think with all this empty space in north dakota that the big problem here would be running out of yarn for the knitters! be real people.....north dakota is not family oriented im sure it has high scores in other areas also like....i dunno alcoholism....DUI....alcoholism....both involve alcohol...hmmmmm is this a state full of drunkards? "

CH wrote on Dec 3, 2008 10:15 PM:

" How many people have Heart Attacks while driving? Maybe we should have cholesterol tests before driving. Don't get me wrong, driving drunk is a bad idea. However there is night and day difference between .08 drunk and can't focus your eyes drunk. What are you alternatives? This summer I was walking home from a BBQ with another Neighbor. It was around midnight, I had one beer in my had, in a can kozzie, you could not tell what it was with out taking it out of its kozzi, Hers was empty but did not want to litter, I had 1/4 beer left. We had a cop stop us. We were given open container fines. $200 later we felt like we should have drove. There is a good chance we would have made it those couple blocks with out being caught. The $200 fine was reduced because it was my 1st offense. So you can't walk, you can't take a bus, you can't get a cab. What are your choices? "

CH wrote on Dec 3, 2008 10:01 PM:

" Its not the cost of the cab, If you can't afford to have a cab you can't afford to be at the bar.... But when its 10 below zero, you live to far to walk, you have no cab to call, because they are closed, and no one else to call what is your alternative?

I'm not saying its right, I live 11 blocks from my favorite pub so I normally walk.

I wonder if they could test for deaths from using your cell phone while driving how much higher that rate would be?

The issue is alternative ways to get home... Its not fair to say our rate is so high when compared to more urban states we have less choices in getting home safely.

BTW when they dropped the BAL to .08 DUI rates went up about 20% in the state. Weird how that happens. "

Cynical Independent wrote on Dec 3, 2008 9:06 PM:

" Falling Off The Bandwagon, Where does the statistic of 1 in 4 drivers being impaired come from? Just curious.
I think that Utah is perhaps a poor comparison as a large number of people living there practice Mormonism which forbids the consumption of alcohol.
Under a federal program all traffic fatalities in every state are investigated and the alcohol level of the victim's is determined. However, even if the driver has no alcohol in their body but a passenger does, that is considered an alcohol related fatality.
Whatever- Yes liberals should stay off the road when they have been drinking.

If you want to lay some blame for not getting DUI drivers off the road, maybe you all should look at your attorney friends, who make hay out of every little missed crossed t or dotted i to get a client out of a DUI. Oh and did I mention the going rate for a DUI defense is around $5000. Hmmmm. "

GG wrote on Dec 3, 2008 8:22 PM:

" To;Mike R! O.K. I'll agree with you on this!
Since when are MADD people experts on statistics?? So, maybe Utah doesn't
smell their breath after they've been killed in an accident ?? Maybe in Utah they
don't test them as much as we do in N.D.?? Maybe they do,or don't do a lot of things we do in N.D.?? Maybe MADD should go pick on the people of UTAH ?? "

jack daniels wrote on Dec 3, 2008 7:54 PM:

" law many of those people driving to work in the morning are still impaired from the night before. bismarck per ca pita rates right at the top! however keeps you in business! "

Owl wrote on Dec 3, 2008 7:21 PM:

" No surprise here! Many adults include booze as the central activity for almost anything. Game's on tv tonight? Grab an 18 pack. Going fishing or golfing? Don't forget the cooler. Ordering a pizza? Grab some beer! A wedding? Pass the red eye until no one can walk. High school game today? A flask or a couple of minnie's in the jacket to stay warm. Children watch while they are growing up and guess what they learn? "

bigpoppakdog wrote on Dec 3, 2008 6:35 PM:

" ND is at the top of the list and we have ourselves to blame. The tolerance towards youth drinking is almost a "genetic" trait here. Until everyone decides to put an end to it, it will continue. "

Law wrote on Dec 3, 2008 4:01 PM:

" Falling, where are you getting those ridiculous statistics? Are you telling me when I drove to work this morning that 100 people were driving drunk? YGBKM

Statistics are a wonderful thing and can be used to shape any argument. When you have few fatalities any alcohol related deaths raises the percentage quickly.

Yes, we have too many dui fatalities, the same as the best state in the nation, which has more people but also restricts alcohol purchases. "

I think its great wrote on Dec 3, 2008 2:22 PM:

" that we lead the nation in drunk drivers as well as lead the nation in poor driving by sober drivers, what a great combination! "

LJK wrote on Dec 3, 2008 2:19 PM:

" And this is a surprise because of...?? For as long as I can remember the excuse has been "there's nothing else to do" or some other variation of that phrase. No, not if you're not looking for anything else and you want an easy reason. Really pitiful, guys. By the time I was 20, I had four friends dead at the hands of drunk drivers in N.D. Pull your heads out and start enforcing the laws; there's nothing more ridiculous than reading the court pages and finding that some loser who is a repeat offender is out with a little fine and "time served". "

Mike R wrote on Dec 3, 2008 1:40 PM:

" Tommy: Cops bust kids parties because it is the law, and they get sued by the parents of those kids if little Johnny gets hurt at one of these parties and it wasn't broken up. Fighting among themselves? Where did that come from? I will agree though, that there are enough other mood altering drugs out there that deserve a closer look. Seems like most everyone is on something these days. As far as the 2 beers comment: I have said it before and I will say it again. No one has ever been arrested for DUI after 2 beers. The only exceptions would be if you were drinking 2 incredibly HUGE beers or if you weighed 50 pounds. Lets just say that you weigh 180 pounds. You could drink those 2 beers down quickly and still be under a .03 BAC - Well below the legal limit. Of course those numbers come from a leading source on alcohol testing equipment - so what would they know? "

Kimberly M wrote on Dec 3, 2008 1:37 PM:

" I know a 3-time DUI offender who is still at it now(drunk driving). I really wish his 3rd conviction (in five years) would've been classified as a felony...maybe THEN he would've learned. But you know what he got for his 3rd offense? 60 days in a 'rehab facility' and a fine...with work release everyday. The statutes in ND need to change in the upcoming session. Do people realize these are potential killers on the road? "

NDGuy wrote on Dec 3, 2008 11:43 AM:

" Tommy, are you equating a drunk driver killing a family or causing a disabling injury to stepping on someone's toe at the mall? my lord sir. . . .look at yourself. "

Falling Off The Bandwagon wrote on Dec 3, 2008 11:16 AM:

" Statistics have proven that one out of every four cars that you pass on a road or highway in North Dakota is driving under the influence of alcohol. When are our incompetent and archaic N.D. Legislators going to address the problem of D.U.I. with much stiffer fines and jail sentences? The 2009 Legislature would be a good time to start? This problem will not go away, it only increases as time passes by. "

lw wrote on Dec 3, 2008 10:44 AM:

" Does anyone remember when the legislature shot down a third DUI being a felony? Whatever insane reason they had for doing that, I don't know. But it would have been a good start to curbing the problem and our own lawmakers kicked it out. "

HBIC wrote on Dec 3, 2008 9:41 AM:

" It looks like the home delivery of alcohol may be a fabulous idea for the citizens of Bismarck/Mandan and the entire state of North Dakota.

I seem to remember a time(last week) when many of "you" stepped on your soapboxes and tore that young man apart for even vocalizing the idea of it!

Hypocrisy knows no recession in North Dakota..... "

NDGuy wrote on Dec 3, 2008 8:21 AM:

" For what its worth here's my 2 cents on this issue. First offence; nice fine (over $1000) but no jail, no revocation of license but, they have a device on their car that checks for alcohol before they drive. Now, here's the idea, for 1 year, they are the designated driver for one bar or club. The bar or club can call them any time, day or night, to provide a ride for someone who is too drunk to drive. Second offense: same fine and 1 year in jail, no time off and no suspended sentences. Then 2 years designated driver. Third offense, 2 years in jail and no license, ever. Now, I will admit I have driven when I shouldn't (in my younger days) and I know folks who still do. This would not have stopped me the first time but I would have thought real hard about the second or third. As a State I don't know if we condone this so much as just look the other way. I wonder if our legislators may not be addressing this issue for reasons of self preservation. "

WHATEVER wrote on Dec 3, 2008 8:00 AM:

" Kind of ironic - a state like ND that prides itself on being all about conservative Christian moral family values turns out to be the worst state for drunk driving. I'm sure there has to be some way to blame liberals for this, even though conservatives practically have a dictatorship in state government. "

Tommy wrote on Dec 3, 2008 7:40 AM:

" If I step on somebodies toe at the mall and cause personal injury do I get locked up for a year? my lord people... look at yourselves... ?? this is crazy. "

to Mahionri from tommy wrote on Dec 3, 2008 7:38 AM:

" ARe you living in China or what... I don't know where you are from.?? dont care.. not in this country bud... If I have 2 beers and get pulled over and blow over .08 I go to jail for a year?? some people handle alcohol differently than others. I get upset that the ones that can drink responsibly are paying the price for idiots. "

Tommy wrote on Dec 3, 2008 7:35 AM:

" I dont think that anybody on any kind of drug should be allowed to drive.. including prozac.. or any other "mood altering" drugs... But I supposed that would prob include half of of MADD on the list. Our cops are to busy busting kids parties and fighting amongst themselves to do the job they were hired to do. Have any of you ever seen the percentage of convictions we get.. anybody with an attorney can get off a DUI in this state.. I would like to see the stats on how many arrests vs how many convictions. "

Parent wrote on Dec 3, 2008 5:56 AM:

" North Dakota ranking as the worst state in the nation when it comes to drunken driving is very unfortunate and disappointing but it doesn't surprise me. It seems many in ND consider driving while intoxicated to be just 'something we do' or a form of recreation here. People in other states seem much more careful about how much they drink and tend to look down on driving while drunk more, based on my experience.

A speaker I heard said something that really stuck with me. He was an attorney who used to handle DUI cases. He said that most people think their risk of drinking and driving is a fine, an increase in their insurance and loss of their license. He said few think about the real risk being that you could find yourself having just killed a family or even your own children and would have to deal with that for the rest of your life. Something to think about. Happens every day. "

lil_bit wrote on Dec 3, 2008 1:09 AM:

" For anyone who is interested the actual report is on MADD.org. I agree with mahonri but keep in mind harsher sentences will mean that we would need more prison space. Maybe we could look into repeated offenders having the interlocks placed on their cars. They could pay for the installation by paying a little more on fines. "

Mike R wrote on Dec 2, 2008 7:57 PM:

" One problem is with the statistics itself. Not sure of how this study was done, but in ND most of the time accidents are not catagorized as intoxicated driver accidents. They are called alcohol related accidents. If you have one beer and get into a major accident (your fault or not) and it is called an alcohol related accident. That can really skew the results. It would be interesting to know if they just used the alcohol related data the state puts out or if they actually determined which fatalities were actually over the legal limit. "

OBE wrote on Dec 2, 2008 3:46 PM:

" I would be for free cab vouchers for people who drink too much to drive home if the bars had a surcharge on those drinking to pay for it. "

TO CH wrote on Dec 2, 2008 3:40 PM:

" Ok, so you can't find a cab, so what??? Call a friend, call a family member, call someone, but don't get behind the wheel and risk not only your life, but everone else's on the road too! No excuse will ever be good enough to get behind the wheel. "We live in a rural state..." Big Deal!!! And I would gladly pay $4 or $13 to get a ride if it meant that I wouldn't have to spend time in jail, pay a hefty fine, kill myself or someone else. No more excuses people!!! I think mahonri has the right idea, maybe a little drastic, but it would be a good place to start. "

Dave wrote on Dec 1, 2008 12:39 PM:

" Finally nd gets to be first in something, awsome "

CH wrote on Nov 30, 2008 3:39 PM:

" No Offense Ray. But All law enforcement does is drive around looking for drunks.
In Dickinson you can not get a cab after 10pm on week days and it ends at 1am on the weekends. When we did have one, they did such a poor job managing it that one time a ride was 4 bucks the next time it was 13 even though it was the same place as the night before. We live in a very rural state when many people do not live with in walking distance of where they are drinking. We have no bus service in many towns. How about 24 hour cab service in our top 15 populated towns, and free cab vouchers for drunks. It has to be allot cheaper to give a drunk a ride home then it is to lock them up and run them threw the court. "

deb wrote on Nov 29, 2008 11:38 AM:

" This is absolutely unacceptable! Why do we put up with this? Where are our elected officials in all of this? Are we so lacking of intelligence and creativity that that is all we can come up with for entertainment in this state? Just disgusted! "

mahonri wrote on Nov 27, 2008 11:47 AM:

" First offense, lose drivers license for 5 years, one year mandatory county jail time with no exceptions and no early release.
Second offense, lose drivers license for life. Five years mandatory prison with no early release. Can never own, buy or cosign for a motorized vehicle again.
Third offense, ten years mandatory prison time. Can never ride in a private vehicle again, only public transportation or a vehicle driven by law enforcement.

If there is a fourth violation, life in Prison.

Too many are killed by these drunk driving bums. If the Governors or Presidents kids were killed by a drunk driver something would actually be done. As long as it is 'only' others, nothing more than talking will be done. Drinking is a voluntary act. Choosing to drink and drive should be punishment should be fast and harsh. "

Harleyp wrote on Nov 27, 2008 8:33 AM:

" Well now that is something to be really proud of. No surprise though with people of ND thinking it is their right to drink and drive. That the police are in the wrong for check points etc. etc. "

Ray Becker wrote on Nov 27, 2008 6:25 AM:

" The peace officers out doing the job, making the stops and the arrest should be praised, however once this is over it seems the suspects gets caught up in the lawers, court system and suddenly we have become worried about the outcome of the crime itself. The individual who makes the decision to drink and drive can not say they have not been educated about the hazzords of drunk driving. I believe that the ability to consume alcohol to a point of intoxication has become a social norm and that driving a motor vehicle after somehow became ok. It appears the only time it isn't okay is unfortunately when it has effected someone you care about or love. It would be nice to see the citizens take a more active approach in policing themselves and remeber, this could effect you. We seem to be more concerned about the suspects rights then the victims. I hope this changes in my lifetime. "

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