Rated BV

HAS MADD GONE MAD?

It’s Time To Stop The MADDness!

I got popped for DWI with a BAC of only 0.02%.  That's 5 times below the legal limit of 0.10%BAC. The Trooper said 0.01% was proof of DWI as far as he's concerned. The TN Driver License Study Guide says 0.00%BAC is proof of DWI/DUI.

There are thousands of stories like the one above and worse. Over 1.6 million people per year are being arrested and charged on “drunk” driving charges who are not drunk and not even impaired. 3000 of them commit suicide in jail. And why? Because organizations like MADD (Mother’s Against Drunk Driving) and NHTSA (The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration) have used misinformation in order to create a fraudulent impression that drunk driving is an epidemic.

While there’s no doubt that losing a loved one to an inebriated, out of control driver is heinous and despicable, it’s important that we use some common sense when looking at “drunk driving” statistics and carefully analyze them and understand the motivations behind some of the figures we’re hearing from MADD and NHTSA.

NHTSA and MADD would like us to believe that 41% of all fatal accidents are caused by drunk drivers. They do this by quoting the number of fatalities that are “alcohol-related.” Does anyone ever ask what does “alcohol-related” mean?

I was recently stopped and charged with a DUI. I blew .08 on the Breathalyzer, which I found to be incredible since I had not had a beer for over 5 hours. I am not a large woman, but lets be reasonable.

Alcohol-Related?

The police and NHTSA define "alcohol-related" as one or more of the participants involved in a traffic accident had some measurable amount of alcohol (or drugs) in their blood (however small: a sip of beer, or even mouthwash is enough to be measured).

Did you know…

If a sober driver hits a pedestrian or bicyclist who has some level of alcohol in their system, that driver will be listed in NHTSA’s statistics as a drunk driver.

If a sober designated driver collides with another sober driver and someone gets killed, that designated driver will show up in NHTSA’s statistics as a drunk driver because his passengers had been drinking.

If someone leaving a tavern after only two beers, driving legally with a BAC below the legal limit, is struck by some hot rod kid high on nothing but his ego and a high performance engine, and that kid dies; not only will the drinker, who did nothing wrong, be in NHTSA’s statistics as a drunk driver but he may do some jail time for manslaughter.

If someone involved in an accident had so much as aspirin or cough syrup before driving, they will show up in NHTSA’s statistics as a drunk driver.

Of the 17,000+ “alcohol-related” fatalities listed by NHTSA in 2001, over 7,500 of them had no evidence whatsoever to show that the driver of the vehicle was drunk. A fact verifiable through NHTSA’s own data available through their FTP site.

Why???

DUI’s are BIG BUSINESS. Over 1.6 million people get arrested yearly and each will pay at least $10,000 in legal fines and lawyer fees. Lowering the legal BAC limit does nothing to save lives, but most certainly increases the potential income pool for police, courts, lawyers and don’t forget insurance companies who get to increase their insurance rates for convicted DUI offenders.

So What Are The Real Risks?

There’s no doubt that drunk drivers cause deaths and need to be dealt with appropriately. But what about Responsible Drinkers? What about those people who have just one or two after work with some friends or a glass or two of wine with dinner and keep their BAC between .08 and .14 or lower? The chart below compares causes of accidental deaths. It clearly demonstrates that you are:

28.77 times more likely to be killed by a sober driver
13.52 times more likely to die from a fall
8.52 times more likely to be poisoned
4.57 times more likely to die from an injury at work
3.66 times more likely to drown
2.92 times more likely to choke to death
2.34 times more likely to die while under a doctor’s care

…than by a Responsible Drinker.

Thanks Jean! Visit her website for more DUI related information.

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