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State cracks down on drunken drivers |
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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 |
by LILLIAN HOGAN
News Editor
Appalachian State University senior A. Sajid Perez never thought six beers and two liquor drinks would cost him thousands of dollars.
During Perez’s Fall Break junior year, he spent a night in jail for drinking and driving.
The aftermath of Perez’s DWI charge included spending nine months in court, going 30 days without a license, having his car taken away, and losing the trust of loved ones.
 Active Image | Upcoming Checkpoints in North Carolina
April 2 – 8: Operation Slow Down/No
Need 2 Speed
May 21 – June 3: Click It or Ticket
June 28 – July 8: Booze It & Lose It
Aug. 17 – Sept.3: Booze It & Lose It
Oct. 26 – 31: Booze It & Lose It
Nov.12 – 25: Operation Slow Down/No
Need 2 Speed
Nov.30 – Jan.2: Booze It & Lose It
Source: Capt. Curtis Main, Boone Police Department
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“Don’t drink and drive. It’s the stupidest thing, especially in Boone,” Perez said. “You can just walk to the bar.”
An initiative developed by the Governor’s Highway Safety Program to
discourage impaired driving has led to an increase in DWI arrests in
the state.
Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department
conducted a traffic checkpoint March 17 on Bamboo Road for St.
Patrick’s Day as a part of the “Booze it and Lose it” campaign, Capt.
Curtis Main of the Boone Police Department said.
Officers issued 47 citations ranging from child safety seat violations
to driving while license revoked. However, none of the citations were
for DWI’s.
The checkpoint, conducted from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. instead of the usual
nighttime hours, was an experiment, because “impaired drivers are out
24/7,” Main said.
University Police Chief Gunther E. Doerr said there were 29 DWI arrests on campus in 2006, 15 of which were students.
The Boone Police Department made 158 DWI arrests in 2006, Main said. So
far this year, the department has made 17 DWI arrests in January and 12
in February, he said.
Jordan T. Childs, co-owner of Boone’s Tipsy Taxi, said the company has driven about 3,000 students
around Boone and Blowing Rock since opening in August.
“There is no doubt that [Tipsy Taxi] has made an impact on the DWI
situation in Boone and has lowered the amount of possible
alcohol-related accidents and crimes,” he said.
Finding a ride even when someone has been drinking a small amount is
the safest option, Main said, because a DWI can be issued even if a
person has lower than a .08 blood-alcohol content level.
While the state says at .08 BAC you are impaired, in reality, Main said
if a person has lower than a .08 BAC but still has “appreciably
impaired faculties,” a DWI can still be issued.
Richard E. Davis, a senior electronic media and broadcasting major, is
currently working on a semester-long group project in his video class
to create a documentary on DWI’s.
Davis and his group have spent the past month and a half interviewing
police officers, lawyers, counselors and DWI victims. They also rode
along with officers who made DWI arrests.
Scott Casey, a local lawyer the group spoke with, told the students
that most DWI offenders think they can pay lawyers to get them off the
hook.
“He came out and said he can’t,” Davis said. “It costs thousands of dollars and he said he loses 8 of 10 [DWI cases].”
During the police ride along, Davis said the officer used specific criteria when looking for drunken drivers.
“They don’t just stop everyone,” he said. “Lots of people say cops
aren’t fair. In my experience, they were fair. They looked for people
who they thought were guilty and most of the time they were right.”
One student pulled over while Davis was with the police was issued their second DWI – his first was when he was 18.
“He was still supposed to have a [breathalyzer] in the car; it was still affecting him three years later,” he said.
Davis said he has seen both sides of drinking and driving after working on the documentary.
“I’ve seen friends casually drink and drive and then I’ve seen the
realization of the thousands of dollars DWI’s costs and how they go on
your record and make it serious,” he said.
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