If you drive a vehicle under the influence of an illicit substance, I have a problem with you.
It was just a mistake, and you’re sorry? Sorry, that doesn’t cut it for me.
As a society, we’ve passed the point where we can play dumb regarding the effects of alcohol or drugs on our driving. Denying this is choosing to be ignorant.
On Feb. 25 in New Orleans, Neilson Rizzuto injured 28 people when he plowed into parade goers at the Krewe of Endymion. That was just the tail end of his stupidity — he also struck two vehicles prior to leaving the roadway and mowing down the crowd.
Following the incident, his blood-alcohol level was measured at .232 percent, nearly three times the legal limit of .08 percent. His charges include first-degree vehicular negligence resulting in injury, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and hit-and-run driving.
Hopefully, he’s prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Some scumbag attorney will probably attempt to negotiate a plea bargain on his behalf, but he doesn’t deserve one, and neither does anyone else who drives under the influence, regardless of injuries.
Sadly, the culture of south Louisiana, complete with to-go cups in entertainment districts and roadside daiquiri shops, encourages excessive alcohol consumption in the name of “having a good time.”
Saints game? Drink. LSU game? Drink. Mardi Gras? Drink. Hurricane coming ashore? Drink. While I personally don’t see the point in drinking to everything, there’s nothing wrong with that — as long as you don’t drive. If you do drive, I hope you get arrested.
Not everyone who gets caught is going to be Neilson Rizzuto and have their faces plastered across national news outlets when they drive under the influence. In fact, the vast majority of people who drive drunk get away with it.
A 2014 FBI study concluded approximately 300,000 people operate a vehicle under the influence daily, but only 3,200 are arrested. That same study discovered that those arrested for drunk driving have driven drunk more than 80 times before facing justice. It’s almost never a one time incident, and those who do it fail to realize they’re driving a weapon that weighs a couple thousand pounds.
All things considered, Louisiana should publicly shame those convicted of DUI by adopting Ohio’s restricted plate policy. Under this policy, those convicted of DWI may be given restricted license plates that must be affixed to their vehicle. The plates are bright yellow, and serve as a warning to other motorists that they’re driving near someone who’s proven to be unsafe. As a driver, I feel this knowledge is owed to me, just as much as knowing a sex offender moved in the neighborhood.
I’m not a prude. People love to change the way the brain works, and I’m certainly no different. I get my Don Draper on every now and then with a stiff old fashioned, and I also enjoy Yuengling beer among other things. I have my vices just like everyone else.
Have a good time with whatever your vice is. Please, just don’t drive afterwards. You have no right to endanger the lives of others because of your carelessness.
Christopher Godail is a 27-year-old interdisciplinary studies junior from Kenner, Louisiana.