“Hey bro. Let’s go out for a few beers.” We have all heard those words before. With so many parties and rides going on in the coming week, I wanted to remind you all to not fall into the April Fool’s Day joke. April Fools' Day is celebrated every year on April 1 by playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. The jokes and their victims are called April fools. This year… Don’t be a fool into believing you can get away with having a few beers and that you’ll not get “hoaxed”.
ABATE chapters have been criticized for the appearance of hypocrisy in their road safety message, in that while their public service advertisements aimed to get drivers to be more aware of motorcycles are helpful, the chapters undermine that message by appearing to encourage alcohol consumption while riding.
The traffic and commuting beat columnist for The Baltimore Sun, Michael Dresser, wrote in July 2007 that, "While ABATE [of Maryland's] message is great, there are some problems with the messenger. [...] ABATE's arguments against helmet laws are largely based on the dubious premise that they violate individual rights or invade privacy. Gimme a break. Maryland has invested billions or dollars to build a public road system. So if the state decides to require users of that network to take steps to avoid spilling the contents of their skulls on public pavement, it is well within its rights." Dresser further criticizes the practice of holding the majority of Maryland ABATE chapter meetings in bars, pointing out his observation that one meeting place is at an open air bar where motorcycle riders can often be seen consuming alcohol before noon. Dresser contrasts this with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which has urged riders to not consume even one drink before riding, saying that even a road-legal blood alcohol level of 0.05% increases a rider's risk by 40 times, due to the greater challenge of motorcycle riding compared to driving a car.
In response to a deluge of counter-points and demands for an apology, Dresser ran a second column in which he offered 7 point-by-point rebuttals to the letters from ABATE members. Among the objections were that Dresser was unfairly perpetuating a stereotype of rowdy, irresponsibly-drunk bikers, and that due to this negative stereotype, the ABATE chapter had been turned down by more than 40 taverns before they found one to accept them. Members also said that the Founding Fathers of the United States also met in taverns to plan the revolution. Dresser was also criticized for emphasizing the helmet law issue, when in fact Maryland ABATE had made increased penalties for right-of-way violators a top legislative priority, and had assisted handicapped people in getting disabled parking permit license plates. In response to readers who emphasized the freedom of choice argument against helmet laws, Dresser replied that, "Freedom is a much-abused word. There are essential freedoms -- free speech, free press, habeas corpus, religion, the ballot, to name a few -- that are worth fighting for. Then there's simply foolish behavior we're used to getting away with."
The following week, Dresser ran a third column in which he quoted letters from motorcyclists who were also uncomfortable with ABATE's anti-helmet law position, and from some ABATE members who agreed that the organization was excessively focused on alcohol consumption at their gatherings. Several other correspondents told anecdotes of helmet laws saving riders' lives, and others noted that the image of motorcyclists was not only harmed by hard-drinking middle-aged cruiser riders, which they saw as the ABATE demographic, but also by packs of young males speeding and doing stunts on sport bikes.
DUI STATISTICS
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is one of the most common infractions across America. In 2015, the country as a whole arrested 1,171,903 people for DUI. Over a million?!?! To me, that number is astonishing.
Arizona ranks number 7 on the list of states with the most stringent DUI laws. A minimum of 24 hours in jail, $250 fine and mandatory interlock device on your vehicle for 6 months. That’s 6-months of not riding your bike!!!
Alcohol-Related Fatalities
In 2015, the most recent year for fatality statistics, 10,265 people lost their lives in automobile accidents in which at least one driver was alcohol-impaired. This equals 29.25 percent of all traffic-related deaths.
We speak about motorcycle safety all the time. Let’s start with ourselves. While we, as individuals, are only responsible for ourselves, let us start being our brother’s keeper when it comes to this. We all have known at least one person who has lost a life because of an impaired driver.
Did you know that in Arizona, 30.46% of all fatalities are alcohol related? Almost 1/3! That’s higher than the National statistic of 29.25%.
Nationwide Demographics of DUI Drivers in Fatal Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides a breakdown of when fatal accidents occur (day versus night, weekday versus weekend) and demographics of the drivers and their vehicles. Please note that, in some instances, the total numbers do not equal the demographic breakdowns. This is due to the fact that these factors are unknown in some accidents.
In the following table, daytime is measured as occurring between 6:00 AM and 5:59 PM. The weekend begins at 5:59 PM Friday and ends at 5:59 AM Monday morning.
Fatal Drivers by Day and Time
Day & Time
|
Total # of Drivers
|
DUI Drivers
|
Percent of Total
|
Weekday, Daytime
|
17,105
|
1,347
|
8%
|
Weekday, Nighttime
|
9,741
|
2,874
|
29%
|
Weekend, Daytime
|
6,377
|
854
|
13%
|
Weekend, Nighttime
|
11,127
|
4,232
|
38%
|
Drivers in Fatal Accidents by Age
Age Range
|
Total # of Drivers
|
DUI Drivers
|
Percent of Total
|
16-20
|
3,803
|
662
|
17%
|
21-24
|
4,654
|
1,404
|
30%
|
25-34
|
8,972
|
2,586
|
29%
|
35-44
|
6,894
|
1,652
|
24%
|
45-54
|
7,350
|
1,493
|
20%
|
55-64
|
5,997
|
945
|
16%
|
65-74
|
3,314
|
327
|
10%
|
75+
|
2,641
|
152
|
6%
|
Drivers in Fatal Accidents by Gender
Gender
|
Total # of Drivers
|
DUI Drivers
|
Percent of Total
|
Male
|
32,572
|
7,574
|
23%
|
Female
|
11,258
|
1,671
|
15%
|
Drivers in Fatal Accidents by Vehicle Type
Vehicle Type
|
Total # of Drivers
|
DUI Drivers
|
Percent of Total
|
Passenger Cars
|
17,757
|
3,922
|
22%
|
Light Trucks
|
17,017
|
3,694
|
22%
|
Large Trucks
|
3,697
|
68
|
2%
|
Motorcycles
|
4,692
|
1,372
|
29%
|
80
|
28
|
$199 Billion
|
63
|
29+ Million
|
239
|
720
|
4,000
|
# of times someone drives drunk before getting caught
|
# of people who die every day in drunk driving accidents
|
Annual cost of drunk driving in America
|
Percent of people who will be involved in a drunk driving accident
|
# of people who admit driving drunk in 2015
|
# of children killed in drunk driving accidents in 2015
|
# of people injured every day in drunk driving accidents
|
# of people arrested every day for drunk driving
|
I know I sound like I’m preaching to everyone. I am not saying to not go out and have a drink. I’m just saying to play it smart.
FREE RIDES HOME
Designated Drivers, Inc. (Phoenix Only)
Phone: 866-622-RIDE (7433)
Phone: 866-622-RIDE (7433)
PHOENIX
Discount Cab Free Ride Back Program
Phone: 520-388-9000
Hours: 24/7
Details: Gives drivers a free ride back to their car the next day – Drivers pay for cab ride home.
Reservations for pick up required.
http://www.discountcab.com/options/free_ride_back.aspx
Discount Cab Free Ride Back Program
Phone: 520-388-9000
Hours: 24/7
Details: Gives drivers a free ride back to their car the next day – Drivers pay for cab ride home.
Reservations for pick up required.
http://www.discountcab.com/options/free_ride_back.aspx
Be My DD
Phone: 1-877-823-6933
Hours: 24/7
Details: A driver takes you home in your own vehicle
http://www.bemydd.com/our_services
TUCSON
Discount Cab Free Ride Back Program
Phone: 520-388-9000
Hours: 24/7
Details: Gives drivers a free ride back to their car the next day after paying for the cab ride home.
Reservations for pick up required.
http://www.discountcab.com/options/free_ride_back.aspx
Phone: 1-877-823-6933
Hours: 24/7
Details: A driver takes you home in your own vehicle
http://www.bemydd.com/our_services
TUCSON
Discount Cab Free Ride Back Program
Phone: 520-388-9000
Hours: 24/7
Details: Gives drivers a free ride back to their car the next day after paying for the cab ride home.
Reservations for pick up required.
http://www.discountcab.com/options/free_ride_back.aspx
There are alot of designated driver services around the country. Here is a resource I would suggest to bookmark for reference if you ever need it.
So this year, don’t be a fool. Enjoy yourself. And if you know my personal cell, call me. I’ll call you a ride if I can’t pick you up.
Be good to one another!
Mike
