DUI In DC

Most reasonable folk would agree that the country's approach to reign in the scourge of drunk driving over the last 25 years has been both noble and courageous, as well as effective and timely. And there's no doubt that countless lives have been saved and suffering prevented. But whenever fresh ideas grow stale, politicians move in to reap political profits. We have seen examples over the last 5-7 years of candidates supporting ineffective laws like reduced DUI blood alcohol levels, and increased penalties for first time offenders. The problem is that the current laws are not effectively enforced. Consider this: While most DUI related vehicle deaths involve perps who have multiple DUI convictions involving BACs 2-3 times the legal limit, legislators continue to support lower limits. The reason? In our sound bite world of politics, trying to explain this to the masses rather than simply supporting "tougher penalties" would seem weak. Here's a great example of enforcement gone wild...