Letter to the Editor
DUI losses
Published Thursday, March 20, 2008
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To the editor:
I just returned from Seattle, where I attended the sentencing of the young man who was driving the car when there was an accident and my son was killed. It was almost a year ago now that the accident happened.
These young men were excited to be together; Kenton had just gone down to Seattle. Tim was showing him around. They went to the Space Needle and did all the things tourists do. Then, it was getting late that evening and they went to a club where they had “just a couple drinks” but that was all it took to change their lives forever. Kenton is dead, and for the rest of his life Tim lives with the knowledge that he is responsible for the accident that killed his friend.
As if that isn’t bad enough he is now sentenced to 41 months in jail. I don’t feel better knowing Tim is in jail. It won’t bring Kenton back, it will do nothing to prevent others from drinking and driving and it will not encourage others to wear their seat belts.
They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Just look at the police blotter — education and stiff jail sentences are not stopping people from drinking and driving. We need a new plan. I am certainly no expert, but it seems to me the technology is there to eliminate much of this issue. An alcohol detector on every single car just might mean two other families don’t go through this grief and that would make it worth it.
Right now, our family is grieving a lost son and Tim’s family is grieving for a son in jail.
Community Discussion
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I am very sorry for you loss. The problem with impaired driving is something the cant be changed overnight. We need to keep educating our youth of the hazards, continually reveiw and update sentencing standards, and with todays technology outfit automobiles with equipment which prevents impaired driving. This problem can be fixed, if you look at the european models they have worked and they see very few impaired drivers today.
Kenton was a friend of mine and I didn't get to say goodbye. My heart goes out to his family, I'm very sorry for your loss.
I have never supported impaired driving, but this hit too close to home. I don't think it should be losing your license after numerous offenses, they still don't learn. First time should be it, no warnings, no second chances - they should know better by now. As for educating more, the education of the effects of driving under the influence have been inforced more over the years. It doesn't seem to be making a difference. Regardless of what people know, or are taught, they still do as they want without concern of outcome or how it will effect other people.
Kenton and Tim are both my friends and I was devastated when this happened. It is truly tragic because it was so preventable. I remember Kenton talking with such enthusiasm about his move to Seattle.
Once one's judgment is impaired, what are the chances of making a prudent choice?
Universal Ignition Interlock devices are a terrible idea. For starters, making everyone blow to start there car every time they got in it in an attempt to keep a few idiots off the road is excessive - to say the least. The cost would be substantial. Not to mention it would be a matter of days before the mechanically inclined would find a way to bypass them. I bet people would even drive to the bar and keep their car running to avoid the risk of possibly not being able to start it again after they've had a beer.
There are no words from me that can ease your pain. I'm sorry for your loss. God Bless.
How about a harder sentence than 3 days in jail? That 27 days should not be suspended. I know it would solve the problem but it would put a better punishment to the crime.
I am so sorry for your pain. You are correct what we are doing now does not work. Fines and jail is not the answer to an altered state of mind. If you made good choices when you were impaired it wouldn't be an issue. By the pure defination of impaired you can see why training doesn't work.
I cant blow up balloons. I have a hard time with that blow test at the doctors. I dont think I would be able to blow into one of those machines. Ive seen one before.
Words cant explain how sorry i am for your loss. Maybe in the future to possibly help other people you can go to schools or something and try to educate the students on drinking and driving. IT might help other families. I knew a few who have died as the result of that terrible choice so if i had the time i would go and do it my self.
STOP DRUNK DRIVING, this is a perfect example of why.
Hanscom family, we are all sorry for your loss.
This is a tragic example of a major soceital problem. Unfortunately, I don't think and alcohol detecting interlock on cars is the solution. Any law that penalizes everyone for the actions of a statistical few (in this case by forcing everyone who is not drunk to have significantly increased inconvenience) is a bad law, and we have too many of them already.
bikebuilder mentions the European model, and I gree with him. I think one underlying problem is how we treat alcohol (and other drugs) in this country. We see the substance as the problem, not the abuse of the substance, and we regulate accordingly. It is not legal to drink alchol before the age of 21 in this country. We have made this law to 'protect our youth' and to decrease drunk driving incidents. However, I think it is this 'protection of our youth' that is the problem. In many European countries, alcohol is not percieved as the problem, and children are introduced to responsible drinking at much younger ages. When children grow up around alcohol, used in a responsible fashion, then they are less likely to abuse, and are less likely to make poor choices (like driving under the influence). We need to treat our children less like immature people that need to be protected, and more like responsible citizens, and the will respond accordingly.
I also agree with the original author of this letter. People do make poor decisions. People do make mistakes(let anyone here who is without blame cast the first stone). Long jail sentances for people who make very human mistakes are a bad idea. We all-to-often treat regular people who make mistakes as it they are scum by locking them up. The point of the justice system ought not be revenge (lock'em up because they did something that hurt me or my family), but should be to prevent injustices from happening again (or from happening at all). We should use counselling and re-education at a first punishment for drunk driving (and for many other crimes). If someone really is scum (and not just a human making a mistake), then we should be more serious with punishements.
And unfortunaltely we cannot prevent every bad thing in this world. Tragedy is part of doing business on this planet. I aplaud the author of this letter for her understanding and sympathy for someone who made a mistake. My sympathies to her and her family. We could all learn from her.
I agree 110% with Freezee! Additionally, I'd like to state that, passing any number of laws or changing our man-made environment, can never replace having people learn strong core values (whether when young and at home or as an adult at the school of hard knocks), and then willfully chosing to live by these core values. Having well known public servants and/or celebrities successfully avoid the rightful consequences of their wrong choices, sends a very WRONG message. Those who chose to be parents, request a very serious responsibility, a responsibility that too often in the past has not been accepted.
Jan,
I'm sorry; I know that doesn't help very much right now but please know that there are many of us who have felt the loss of a friend or family member and know first hand the loss you're experiencing.
My call came almost 20 years ago. I was a Company First Sergeant at an Army Depot in New York and my phone rang about 1:30 AM. It was my company Charge of Quarters (CQ) explaining, "Top, there's been a fatality..." Turns out that the young woman (just over 18 years old) was the daughter of one soldier and the wife of another and I had met her and her three brothers and sister. I then had to call the Company Commander and inform him.
She was a Nursing Assistant and was going to work at 12:30 on one of the twisting, winding back country roads in central New York State. The other driver came over a hill and was in her lane; she didn't have time to avoid him. Her Dad told me that he saw the old man that was brought into the hospital while he was waiting for word on his daughter. He said the old man had a slight scratch but otherwise appeared unharmed. Her Dad also told me a few days later that the man charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) had a long record of being arrested for driving while drunk (and driving on suspended or revoked licenses).
I went to the Viewing, and to the Memorial Service, and to the actual Burial Service. It hurt to watch that Mother, Father, Husband, three Brothers and a Sister - each of whom idealized her - in the depths of such pain. I do remember grieving for them.
Last night, I had too much wine at a local resturant. I used our DD to make sure I wasn't driving while intoxicated. Man, that's simple.
I think anyone caught with a DUI should have there vehicle taken away instantly and put on the auction during the weekend.Use the money for more law-enforcement on the road.If they are driving someone else's vehicle,let the DUIer pay for it.Bet that would make people think twice before driving.What would you do if the law was this way.Law-enforcement wouldn't be taking so much of our tax dollar's then.Sell the vehicle's for half the blue-book value so that we the gov't would't have to have a big storage yard.Excuse me,I gotta git home with my six-pack.
"We need to treat our children less like immature people that need to be protected, and more like responsible citizens, and the will respond accordingly."
The problem with this statement is that children ARE immature people. We can't expect children and teenagers to act like adults. Research has shown that their brains have not yet developed enough to be able to consider consequences and make well-thought-out decisions - which is the very essence of maturity.
Responsible parents will recognize this and take steps to protect children and teens from things they are not yet mature enough to handle. The problem is, their peers, irresponsible parents, and the media are exposing kids to a whole range of things that they are not mature enough to handle. A whole generation is missing out on childhood while they must deal with such issues as drinking, drugs, sex, early death of their friends, exposure to violence, and the inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy (the inevitable consequence of too many hours of TV, movies, video games, and computer use.
I'm sorry for your loss. None of us will live forever, but so many leave too soon.
Thank you for your forgiving understanding. You're a better person in that regard than I would be, should a child of mine die by someone else's irresponsible actions.
No easy answers to this problem, other than reinforcing for our kids just how serious of a responsibility driving is, and just how quickly we can exit the planet when we're in the wrong place at the wrong time, and doing the wrong thing.
I've told my kids that if I EVER see them exibiting irresponsible behavior behind the wheel of a car, that I'll pull the keys and the insurance away from them so fast that they think they were hit by a teleporter beam.
But I still shudder when I think of my young ones driving out in the big ol' world, and especially when I see such poor driving behavior out there, day after day.
First we should all be responsible for our own actions. As this is a tragic event there are two things that could have changed the out come. #1 if the driver had not gotten into the vehicle and driven and #2 if the passenger had not gotten into the vehicle and rode away with someone who had been drinking. We all have a choice. Take a cab.
It is amazing to see the bars on the weekend they are packed with cars…. Then when the bars close there are two or three cars left. I guess all of Fairbanks has DD’s.
I see a lot of people talking about other countries. I think if they looked a little harder at the laws in those countries you would see they are far more punishing than ours. Some of those countries you’d get a year for your first DUI and you’d lose your driving privilege for life.
Jan,
My heart aches for you. I can't imagine a greater pain. Thank you for sharing your story, for offering thoughts toward solution, for your grace toward Tim, and for your compassion for Tim's family.
Death because of drunk driving is 100% preventable. There are so many factors that play into prevention; voices like yours are a steady step toward making an impression that may save lives in the future.
Thank you.
Im sorry for your loss. I'm for better education to the public on the devastating effects of DUI injuries and fatalities. I think when a individual is testing for a drivers permit/license you make it mandatory they watch a video on real DUI accidents, show the person being booked at the jail, being stripped down, and then locked behind bars. Educate people that a "few" beers is all it takes, and this is what can happen. Heck! make it mandatory that they visit a local jail and watch as a DUI inmate gets to go through the process of getting his life turned upside down, two birds with one stone. The DUI'er will feel so embarrassed they won't do it again.
I'm also a technician and can tell you the vehicle immobilizers can easily be bypassed, no matter how advanced they are, the part they disable is always the same.
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