On the Rise and Counting: Female DUI Offenders

Aug 07

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While men and troubled young celebrities are most often perceived as the culprits behind the incidence of DUI, you may be surprised to hear that more and more mothers and responsible female executives are getting collared for drunk driving.

The statistics recently released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the FBI reveal that women in the United States drink more and that the gap between drunken-driving arrests among women and men are getting narrower these days.

The spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Rae Tyson said that there are parts in the country where the majority of impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes are female.

Dianne Schuler was described friends and family as a devoted mom and businesswoman but she took 8 lives, including her own in a wrong-way drunken car crash in New York. Autopsy reports also say that she was under the influence of drugs.

Even the daughter of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia pleaded guilty to drunk driving charges when she was stopped by the police after going to McDonald’s with three kids in the car. Another woman caused the death of her daughter’s friend after a night of clubbing.

FBI figures show that nationwide, the number of women arrested for driving under the influence or alcohol or drugs was 28.8 percent higher in 2007 than it was in 1998, while the number of men arrested was 7.5 percent lower.

The rising number of women drunk drivers are attributed to the fact that women are driving more, are behaving as recklessly as men and because of the pressure and recession, more women are getting into excessive drinking, overeating, smoking and drug abuse.

The arrest of drunken mothers with children in the car was even called by Chuck Hurley, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving as the ultimate form of child abuse.

While women empowerment is ultimately a blessing, the abuse of it can become a curse. Women often lead more stressful lives than men because not only are they now required to have a career, but they must also raise their children well and be loving wives. There is indeed pressure to become a “supermom”.

This in turn, leads to the abuse of substances in an attempt to escape or at least, feel better about the burden they bear as women. And sadly, regardless of intent, women end up making bad choices, like drunk driving and often put their lives and those of their families’ at risk.

Most of the DUI ads and campaigns are directed towards men and teenagers but it’s a good thing that now, the government realizes that female DUI offenders can be just as rampant and fatal.

In this generation where the lines of equality have been blurred, where women are just as empowered and driven as men, inevitably, they are also bound to make the same mistakes. Tragically, supermom or not, they are hardly invincible.

“Drunk” Councilman Knocks Down Power of 300 Homes

Aug 06

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From driving under the influence to driving under and with influence.

A Westminster councilman, Andy Quach earned the ire of many of his residents when he lost control of his car, hit another vehicle with three occupants and slammed into a power pole which knocked out the power of more than 300 homes in his city.

The car Quach struck suffered minor damage but the three occupants were fortunately not injured. The police arrested Quach on suspicion of driving under the influence and while he did not submit to a breath test, he took a blood test.

Quach had previous traffic citations: two were dismissed and one he had to pay a fine of $25 for being found guilty of traveling at an unsafe speed for prevailing conditions.

The beleaguered councilor said that he will take full responsibility for the crash and that he was glad no one got hurt (although he did say that he got injured but didn’t elaborate). He explained that he came from dinner with friends and “nodded off.”

Regardless of the fact whether Quach was driving drunk or was sleepy or fatigued while driving, impaired driving is the main reasons for motor vehicle accidents .

Impaired driving, whether it is due to the influence of drugs or alcohol and driver fatigue can cause driving skills to drop even as the driver’s reaction time and concentration on the road gets lowered.

This is often fatal especially since operating a vehicle requires due diligence and skill to avoid accidents that would injure himself and other people.

One of the disgruntled residents remarked that he was disappointed in Quach as he was supposedly a public figure and should set an example. Likewise, he added that “Everyone should be treated equally and held accountable for his actions.”
Mayor Margie Rice commented that Quach made a terrible mistake but that he’s and that they need to accept it and go on from there.

In California, DUI first time convicted offenders are sentenced to no less than 96 hours of jail time and imposes a maximum limit of 6 months with a fine of $390 – $1,000.

Quach, whose blood test results have yet to be released is merely facing a misdemeanor charged. Now that’s an example of the influence of driving drunk.

Drunk Driving: A Habitual Crime

Jul 30

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A lot of people underestimate the dangers of drinking and driving. Some, like teenagers simply lack the maturity to make better choices while some, well, despite their age, lack the wisdom to do the right thing.

Take for example, Elizabeth Franck from Windsor who at her age of 46 years old, is still getting caught drunk driving.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Franck was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after driving the wrong way on Highway 101 north of Santa Rosa. It was reported that Franck’s red Chevy Aveo was weaving across lanes, hit several construction cones and even bumped into the center divider.

Franck, after playing bump car, apparently got into more trouble when she took the Airport Boulevard off-ramp and got stuck. She ended up trying to drive northbound in the freeway’s southbound lanes.

Authorities also say that Franck has three prior DUI convictions in the last 10 years. She was driving on a suspended license and was on probation for a DUI offense. She was charged with felony drunken driving and booked into Sonoma County Jail with a $31,000 bail.

Drunk drivers are recidivists, meaning, they are people who are likely to commit the same offense over and over again because of habit. Franck is a classic example, despite having prior convictions and a suspended license, she still got behind the wheel intoxicated.

DUI is already illegal on its own but her act of driving on a suspended license is a crime.  According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 50 to 75 percent of drunk drivers whose licenses are suspended continue to drive.

As mentioned above, these drunk drivers, even after convictions and penalties imposed, continue to underestimate the effect of alcohol-impaired driving unless the results become tragic. Usually, it would take an accident resulting to grievous injury or wrongful death to open the eyes of a habitual drunk driver.

It was fortunate that Franck’s drunken ride did not result to injury or damage but the next time might not turn out half as well. Others, who also commit the same crime might get away now but then again, another drunk driving incident could set off a series of unfortunate events.

Minor Driver and Passenger Face DUI Charges

Jul 14

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It never ceases to amaze how much trouble a teenager can get into, especially when it comes to cars.

Most recently on the news, two Santa Rosa teenagers were involved in a car crash after driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding on Hall Road. However, as it turns out, the driver isn’t the only one guilty. His minor female passenger had apparently, tried to wrestle the wheel away and caused the crash.

According to the California Highway Patrol, while the car was traveling at 70-80mph when it skidded off the road, hit an oak tree and overturned. The two suffered moderate injuries and were taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

The 17-year-old male driver may be charged with DUI. The 17-year-old female passenger, was over the .08 percent BAC limit and was also arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving causing injury.

The names of the teens involved in the crash will not be released as the driver may be arrested and the girl because she is a juvenile facing a criminal charge.

Underage drinking is inextricably linked to risky behavior, especially such as driving under the influence. While the legal age for drinking is 21, it is still a popular activity for America’s youth because it is relatively easy for minors to get their hands on alcoholic beverages.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, if teenagers are convicted of using alcohol or a controlled substance and if they are between the ages of 13 and 21, the court will tell DMV to suspend you for one year.

If the driver doesn’t have a license yet, the court tells DMV to make you wait a year longer before you can apply for a license. The driver can also be required to go to a DUI program. Any restriction, suspension, or probation will continue past the teen’s 18th birthday for its full term.

Other stronger actions can be taken if the driving record or the incident justifies them. In California, once the driving privilege has been suspended or revoked, one cannot drive in California with any license or permit.

Teenagers, when once they have the opportunity to drive should be in mind one very important advice: Don’t drink and drive. If they take that lesson to heart, they will be saving not just their lives but a good deal of trouble and inconvenience in the future.

Comedian Artie Lange Charged with DUI

Jul 13

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Is alcohol really that unavoidable for those who work in showbiz?

Artie Lange, The Howard Stern Show veteran, MADTV cast member, who has appeared in various comedy films was arrested after his 2009 Nissan Sentra rear-ended a 2004 Pontiac in Toms River, New Jersey.

Lange was reportedly in New Jersey to promote his new book, “Too Fat To Fish”. But apparently, Lange is not too fat to net charges of driving under the influence of an intoxicant and careless driving.

Although the Police said that the comedian was cooperative, the state of New Jersey can sentence first-time offenders to as long as to 30 days in jail, require as much as 48 hours in community service, levy fines as high as $1,000 and can strip a person of his or her driver’s license for as long as one year.

Considering his celebrity status, Lange should really have known better than to drink and drive. So many other celebrities have suffered the same fate and notoriety but he, unlike some of them, may not get scot free. Perhaps the fact that he’s a first time DUI offender may help?

According to the DUI Foundation, on average, a first time drunk driving offender has been drunk 87 times prior to being arrested. It’s scary to imagine that there are so many drunk drivers on the road but you don’t know because they just don’t get caught.

Some people would argue (as Lange probably did), that a few drinks would be fine and that it won’t affect their driving skills. Unfortunately, that is a sad misconception that even a lot of good, law-abiding citizens share.

But alcohol is an anti-depressant, it slows down the functions of the central nervous system and yes, that’s basically where your brain is. Thus, when alcohol is consumed, a person’s judgment, concentration, comprehension, coordination, visual acuity, and reaction time–become impaired.

Having a few drinks is still no excuse for driving after drinking. People also have different absorption capacities for alcohol so even a few drinks can be deadly. Consuming alcohol before getting behind the wheel greatly increases the risk of car accidents, highway injuries, and vehicular deaths.

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