Drunk Driving in Arizona

Here is an article from the Arizona Republic about drunk driving. Apparently, there has been an increase in drunk driving deaths. I am sure this will lead to the all too predictable push to again increase the penalties associated with drunk driving. Maybe we should just give people the death penalty and get it over with (just kidding).

I am very skeptical of this story for a couple of reasons. First, I am skeptical anytime a news paper or news outlet sites statistics because they usually analyze them wrong. Secondly, there is far too little information about how the statistics were compiled. Lastly, it does not seem like the statistic used is relevant. It is a bad thing if we have the most drunk driving deaths, but we are basically tied with Kansas and they have a pretty small population. I would rather see deaths per 100,000 people or deaths per automobiles owned or deaths per 1000 miles driven. This just doesn't seem relevant to public policy in any way.


Can't the Republic do better than this?

More DUI arrests vs. Freedom

This is a continuation of my ongoing rant about the DUI laws. There was this article about increasing the number of DUI checkpoints during the holidays. While catching people drinking and driving is a laudable goal, I still think the Supreme Court got it wrong when they allowed DUI checkpoints. What happened to a "reasonable expectation of privacy" and protection from unreasonable searches under the Fourth Amendment.

I guess I will have to part ways with the Supremes on this. I prefer freedom and constitutional rights to stopping crime through measure such as these. Civil liberties are too important to be overturned to stop a few drunk drivers.

How about we just pull over the people that are swerving a lot ;) OK, I know it is not that easy or funny for people affected by this.