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Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis
Too bad we can't see 5 year mandatory minimums for DUI convictions and automatic life sentences for DUI causing death. It is senseless, and it's beyond idiotic, but I gotta believe if the consequences were severe it would curb it a lot.
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There's absolutely no evidence higher penalties will deter drunk driving. However, a higher likelihood of getting caught would almost certainly be a deterrent. Of course, that costs money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist
That will not change things that much other than jail a lot of people. Severe punishments just don't change peoples behaviour.
Honestly, self drive cars can't come fast enough
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Agreed. Most drunk trips in vehicles are undertaken by a small fraction of the population, most of them alcoholics. Our long-standing tactic of shaming has reached the limit of its effectiveness. The recent reduction in the allowable limit is little more than PR (there's no evidence that blood alcohol levels of 0.05 to 0.08 are a significant cause of drunk driving incidents).
It's really, really hard to crack that last hardcore of habitual drunk drivers. Like a lot of things, we're reaching diminishing returns. More significant reductions past what we've achieved in the last 40 years will take either A) a lot more money on check stops, B) a massive increase in access to public transportation (which also costs a lot of money), or C) driverless cars.
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Originally Posted by lazypucker
How about making public transit more accessible and more socially acceptable? I know the cost of running more c-trains and buses will be high, but I think people will be more willing to take public transit if it runs throughout the night.
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Absolutely. People in England, Germany, and the Netherlands can go out for a few drinks and either walk or take public transit home. Much harder to do in most of Canada.
I often take the train and bus home when I've had a few. And I can tell you I am the only inebriated male going home the suburbs on my routes who does. When I tell people I'm out with that I'm taking the bus home they look at me like I have three eyes.
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Originally Posted by Magnum PEI
I wonder if there should be more checkstops. I've only ever seen three in Calgary. I went through my first one the other day, one cop in Quarry Park and he had two cars busted.
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I've been through two checkstops in the last 20 years.