Oklahoma City is too drunk to drive

[bchris02]

Report: Oklahoma is too drunk to drive | News OK

Ironic given the liquor laws here are so restrictive. Does anybody besides me think restrictive laws actually encourage people to drink more?

[FighttheGoodFight]

I don't think it does. I think drunk driving is a pretty wide spread problem. Maybe lesser so in places with public transit.

For instance Missouri has very lax liquor laws but still has 34k DUI arrests to a ~6 million population. Oklahoma has ~18k DUI arrests to ~3.7 million population. Those are pretty close in number if you take into account population. Source: DUI Arrest Statistics | Statistic Brain

Either way I think drunk driving is a pretty big American problem. We have a lot of drivers. I think things to combat this could be as simple as not having a last call time or perhaps a better public transit (though I don't know if I want to be on a tram with drunk people).

[bchris02]

Either way I think drunk driving is a pretty big American problem. We have a lot of drivers. I think things to combat this could be as simple as not having a last call time or perhaps a better public transit (though I don't know if I want to be on a tram with drunk people).

I completely agree. Last call is supposed to prevent people from becoming too drunk and then driving but it really does the opposite. It dumps tipsy and drunk people out on the roads before they really have a chance to sober up. Arkansas, one of the lowest states for drunk driving, actually has a 5AM last call at many of their clubs (they changed to 2AM not long ago but some businesses were grandfathered in at 5AM).

[kevinpate]

The problem is not having a last call. The problem, pure and simple, is a lack of personal responsibility.

People who call a cab .. no DUI arrest.

People who insist on having a designated driver ... no DUI arrest, though if you're a loud/mean drunk you might still get your arse in other trouble if you mix it up in the p-lot or a 7/11. at a light, etc.

People who enjoy multiple drinks, and stop a half hour or hour before before heading to the car, key in hand ... DUI waiting to happen.

People who buy right at last call and down it before heading to the car key in hand ... DUI waiting to happen.


It never ceases to amaze me the stories that get told by drivers on why they ended up with a DUI charge, and how clueless some folk are when they tell those stories.
Here's a tip which I have offered before. if a cab or Uber or whomever will somehow cost you 400.00 .... that's seriously still a freaking bargain by comparison to the outlay after an arrest.

[Midtowner]

The stories which amaze me are when the client advises me that they can't recall how they got behind the wheel and just woke up in the hospital or at the drunk tank with no solid recollection of the night or the recollection that they'd run into someone, but didn't know what happened after. Dram shop liability needs to be more fully understood by bars. I've personally seen people at bars on more than one occasion so drunk that they pissed themselves on their barstool and in one case, the restaurant did nothing to prevent them from driving off.

Sober you makes good decisions. If drunk you makes bad decisions, it's up to you to prevent drunk you from making bad decisions. Cab it or Uber it to the bar if you intend to drink heavily. If not, monitor yourself.

[LandRunOkie]

Of course the cheapest setup is a Huffy with some bike lights and a cable lock. Always amazing how far people will go to avoid nonconformity.

[gjl]

Can hardly wait until we add some legal pot to the mix.

[ddavidson8]

You can get DUI with a bicycle as well.

[Jeepnokc]

You can get DUI with a bicycle as well.

Not in OK. Requires a motor vehicle. Interesting though, implements of husbandry are excluded from the definition of motorized vehicle. Thus, you can't get a DUI on your tractor.

[kevinpate]

Anyone else just get a mental image of hipsters riding big john deere green lawn tractors on a pub crawl?

[tfvc.org]

I always thought it odd that you can get a pint of hard alcohol in a liquor store but yet they won't allow 6.0 beer to be cold. A couple of quick rum and cokes on ice or waiting for beer to get cold? I am going to buy the rum.

[Mel]

Do they count handicap devices?

[kevinpate]

I always thought it odd that you can get a pint of hard alcohol in a liquor store but yet they won't allow 6.0 beer to be cold. A couple of quick rum and cokes on ice or waiting for beer to get cold? I am going to buy the rum.

Every time you do, a liquor lobbyist gets his wings

[bchris02]

I always thought it odd that you can get a pint of hard alcohol in a liquor store but yet they won't allow 6.0 beer to be cold. A couple of quick rum and cokes on ice or waiting for beer to get cold? I am going to buy the rum.

The anti-alcohol legislators don't care about consistency. They will vote for any restriction no matter what it is. I agree, if you have so much of a problem that you need to chug something in the car, it's going to be hard liquor which you can buy by the pint or now even by the shot. People who are that desperate for their fix also wouldn't care if the beer is warm. Out of all of the backward liquor laws that has to be the absolute dumbest.

[Wheres_my_shirt]

It would help if there was decent public transport. Look at Norman. This is a town full of college kids needing rides home from the bars. Transport services should be lined up to make a profit from that. Especially when you have relative short distances to drive to housing in Norman, since most bars are located in the central part of the city.

Now OKC, that's a different story. The urban sprawl has made it a nightmare for transport. Cab rides can get ridiculously expensive. Since there are very few hubs of entertainment destinations people's residences are often really far away. I know a few people on here are against "big city development" and love the idea of spread out housing districts but this is one of the factors.

BTW I have a great business idea on how to fix this, I just need startup. So please, all of you millionaires on OKCTalk, PM me lol

[LocoAko]

It would help if there was decent public transport. Look at Norman. This is a town full of college kids needing rides home from the bars. Transport services should be lined up to make a profit from that. Especially when you have relative short distances to drive to housing in Norman, since most bars are located in the central part of the city.

Now OKC, that's a different story. The urban sprawl has made it a nightmare for transport. Cab rides can get ridiculously expensive. Since there are very few hubs of entertainment destinations people's residences are often really far away. I know a few people on here are against "big city development" and love the idea of spread out housing districts but this is one of the factors.

BTW I have a great business idea on how to fix this, I just need startup. So please, all of you millionaires on OKCTalk, PM me lol

FWIW, OU gives out free taxi vouchers every weekend so that students have no excuse to drive drunk. Dunno how well it works, and the few times I've used it come closing time the taxis are swamped and getting one can be... Competitive... But Norman does have somewhat of a "transport service" for students. No idea what the usage numbers are though...

[Wheres_my_shirt]

It works but not on the scale it needs to. Like someone else said, the 2am closing time means that most everyone goes until 2, then everyone has to leave at the same time. Massive congestion. There aren't enough of these vehicles for that much congestion. They are used but not nearly readily available. Big time props to that organization though.

So while this gives a little help it by no means comes close to solving the problem

[FighttheGoodFight]

FWIW, OU gives out free taxi vouchers every weekend so that students have no excuse to drive drunk. Dunno how well it works, and the few times I've used it come closing time the taxis are swamped and getting one can be... Competitive... But Norman does have somewhat of a "transport service" for students. No idea what the usage numbers are though...

OU did a controversial deal a few years ago that changed the rules. Students now have to go in Friday from 8am to 5pm to get a weekend free cab ride pass. They don't last past the one weekend and if you don't get them Friday you don't get the free pass.

It used to just be showing a student ID got you the free Safe Ride.

[Mel]

Heading west on NW 10th toward Mustang I saw a forklift parked in front of a joint called The Crow Bar. I couldn't stop laughing for 15 minutes. Hard rubber tire warehouse type.