I say it every time the issue comes up but I really don't think that harsher penalties are going to do much to stop drinking and driving. They may be warranted because people belief that the offenders deserve the punishment but as a deterent I am not sure how effective it will be.
Right now having a DUI can be very damaging to many careers, the punishment (although seeming light to many) is very hard on offenders as well depending on their situation and despite the risk of killing someone (which is surely worse than any punishment proposed) people still drink and drive all the time.
In my view if people are willing to risk others and their own lives is the risk of spending 30 days in jail going to make them stop?
My main rant about DUI always is that there really is a very little chance that you are going to get caught. That is the main thing that I have heard from people that I know that did it, the main observation that I have seen driving home from work every fri/sat at 1-2 am and even the feeling I had after a few drinks when I used to go out.
The punishments can be as harsh as you want but if I am not going to get caught, and on the slight chance I am have no trouble beating the charges, then why would I be concerned at all about the possible consequences?
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