Japan Drunk Driving

[Polyglot]

I always get a laugh at what happens in Japan. You are basically not allowed to drink and drive, which I find to be very positive but then at the same time a huge number of cars have TV installed that people watch while driving. I have bought two cars from Japan that both reached North American shores with the TV still installed.

[jimoots]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

I'm puzzled that with Japan's limits being so low that they can actually determine through observation that someone is under the influence as I'd expect more drivers would be able to pass field sobriety tests. Japan must have different methods used during traffic stops.

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

As bad as the US is, Japan is much more of a 'police state', in that there are no 4th amendment, 5th amendment considerations and when I was there, they used this gizmo that looked like a flashlight..breathe at it and it says whether or not you have been drinking. You are NOT going to refuse that. If you do, you are arrested, period.

Just an international perspective.

Here in Australia we have similar devices and it is accepted as normal. I'm kind of shocked that it is novel to an American.

Blow into a straw or talk into a device, it will assess BAC and if you are over the limit (0.05) then you're off to the police station for a 'proper' test.

Professional drivers and inexperienced drivers (license for <3 years) must be at 0.00.

And if you refuse the breath test then you cop a large-ish fine and lose your license for a minimum of 12 months. I assume somewhere in that you'll be arrested but unsure.

Don't know if I'd classify that as being a police state or that driving is a privilege not a right. But maybe that's ideological in the states, it definitely isn't here until you get to the extremes.

The whole thing is so pervasive that there's a large market for consumer level BAC measuring devices so you can feel comfortable having a couple of drinks and then driving home.

[verticaldoug]

Originally Posted by bikinchris

I feel that when you take away someone's license, you should also take away their car too. Otherwise, they just drive without a license. Make drunk driving REALLY hurt. The same should go for instances where drivers absolutely ignore traffic law. There is a huge difference between driving a few miles above the speed limit and street racing, or passing a red light many seconds after it's red.

This is probably the mindset of most people. And since most people speed a little (because they can) and most people probably violate a few traffic laws on occasion, the problem for police becomes where do you draw the line?

Even if people say they want better enforcement, they want the enforcement on the other person, not them. If you recall this summer, a rookie cop in the Hamptons starting enforcing traffic laws and stopping/ticketing wealthy Hamptonites. That did not go over too well. That's the issue at the heart of the problem.

At zero tolerance, it's pretty clear. No ifs or buts, and fair.
(I know, pipe dream)

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by verticaldoug

This is probably the mindset of most people. And since most people speed a little (because they can) and most people probably violate a few traffic laws on occasion, the problem for police becomes where do you draw the line? ...

I just heard on NPR that California is trying to mandate all new cars sold in CA have a device installed that alerts the driver when they travel 10 or more miles an hour over the speed limit.

The ramifications...

[Louis]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

The ramifications...

... Will be practically unnoticeable.

My car does this and I just ignore it.