Archive for March, 2009

Police Officer Glen Ciano was killed after being hit by a vehicle

It is unfortunate to note that the Second Precinct Officer Glen Ciano of Long Island was killed during the wee hours in the month of February 2009 in Commack. The Suffolk police officer was killed after being hit by a vehicle driven by Jose Borbon 23 who is booked under drunken driving offense following the crash. The incident is said to have taken place after the car went crashing against a gas pump resulting in a fatal collision. Suffolk’s Chief trial prosecutor John Collins said that the accused will be facing additional charges such as homicide, apart from the DWI charge

The prosecution – Fate of Jose Borbon the accused

Jose Borbon was accused with DWI charge immediately after the accident. The accused pleaded not guilty of the crime of drinking and driving. His blood sample test conducted at the Suffolk Crime Laboratory reported saying Jose Borbon’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.

It was also shocking to note that the accused Jose was driving the vehicle under a conditional license after being arrested for drinking and driving in Nassau. Records clearly reveal that the accused has been involved in 11 such incidents in the past three years. It is a clear and shocking case of irresponsible drinking, where the accused has repeated the offence in spite of several warnings. His driving license was suspended number of times in the past few years. The latest incident was also pertaining to the offence of intoxicated driving.

Jose Borbon’s irresponsible driving nearly hit a gas pump and he also failed the field sobriety test performed on the spot, recording a blood alcohol content of .15. William Petrillo of Rockville Centre said that his client declined to comment on the issue and had the full confidence and support of his family members. Most of his family members were present during the proceeding.

Jose Borbon Enquiry

Enquiry pertaining to the speed of his vehicle at the time of the accident, his activities during and later to the time of fatal collision, the question of his intoxication was still under investigation. The homicide prosecution was certain given the level of intoxication on record.
Collins stated that further more serious prosecutions may come up as the investigation is still underway. After the investigators reconstruct the incident the fate of the case will be decided.

Public Opinion

So friends what do you think should be the fate of Jose Borbon, should he or shouldn’t he be hanged? Considering his young age I would say he should not be hanged, but get punished severely for his act. He deserves a chance to prove he can be a good citizen. However, you all have right to differ with me.

Drunken Driving

Drunken driving menace has been on the rise and had been causing endless threat to lives and to the system check on drunken driving. Every step taken to educate alcoholics about the seriousness of the issue and reason why they should consider themselves responsible in helping the public and themselves from falling prey to fatal accidents and endless miseries have been overlooked.

In a country where you are allowed to drink, it is also important to teach its citizen the meaning of responsible drinking. Driving While Intoxicated is a day to day issue, it is at its peak during weekends when people tend to relax themselves and party overnight.

Day and night patrolling has definitely put a check on the drunken driving cases. Regular checks and severe punishments certainly install fear leading to responsible driving attitudes.

Taxes on Alcohol

Raising taxes on alcohol, results in making alcohol an expensive drink. It is like when you cannot control their use, you control their availability. This definitely has its impact on teenage drinkers who cannot afford to purchase expensive drinks, which in turn curtails the chances of DWI offense.

When the price of a product goes up the demand automatically reduces, reducing the possibilities of drunken driving cases. This has started proving very effective in today’s scenario.

Every instance is inter related like, reductions in alcohol consumption benefits individuals by reducing chances of getting injured, health problems, and deaths coupled with related expenses like healthcare and automobile insurance premiums.

Causes of Driving Under the Influence:

People who drink, have different reasons to quote some call it social drinking, while others may say problem drinking. The point is driving after having drunk, will cause life’s risk for everyone on road.

Given the scenario of recessive economy where people have lesser money to spend, a high cost product will hardly move. A sensible decision of increasing the cost of the product which will not only control irresponsible drinking but also avoid resultant accidents and life threats, medical emergencies and consequential costs.

Is there anybody who will call this a bad decision? If yes please participate and let us know your views.

What is Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)?

Blood Alcohol Content is the level of alcohol content in the body of the individual. For your information, the measure of alcohol content in the body helps in deciding the ability of a person to drive safely. The normally prescribed level is about .08 points. Where the individuals measure of BAC is more than the prescribed level he is said to be impaired of his driving ability and is subject to prosecution under the driving laws of the state. Irresponsible drinking habits are a major cause for all drunken driving accidents. Where a person is found to be driving under the influence of alcohol the patrolling officer has the authority to stop the vehicle and subject the driver of the vehicle to field sobriety test (FST) in order to determine whether the person is under the influence of alcohol. Once it is proved, blood samples are sent across for testing the level of alcohol in their body.

How to calculate the estimated Blood Alcohol Content or the BAC?

The level of alcohol content in the body is estimated making use of certain drinking levels of the person subject to test. The alcohol content in the body of a person is subject to body weight of a person, number of drinks consumed and the time period since his/her last drink.

Well now let us know the measure of drinks. One drink is either a twelve ounce bottle of regular beer or five ounces of wine or one ounce of liquor. If you have numbered your drinks probably you will be able to estimate the alcohol content in the body.

Normally a table of values subject to the body weight of a person and the number of drinks consumed by him is used to measure the alcohol content in the body. This is the measure of alcohol immediately after consumption. Hence after locating the values you should subtract the percent of alcohol used during the passed after your first consumption. The value is .015% every hour of time elapsed after consumption.

These details are published on the net not just to know but also to cross verify the lab test reports and their authenticity.

Why do you think it is necessary to fix an acceptable level of BAC?

Just having a sip of alcohol is not going to impair your ability to drive or to follow the safety measures while driving. At the same time it becomes extremely important to curb the increase cases of Driving While Intoxicated . Such accidents occur only when the alcohol content in the body of the individual results in impairment of driving abilities posing a threat both the driver and the others on road. While a limit is fixed for adults, drivers below the age of 21 are subject to Zero Tolerance Tests, where they are subject to prosecution if any trace of alcohol is found in the body of the individual.

So the next time you travel after a drink kindly ensure you do not fall into the prohibited level of alcohol content. Even otherwise do you wish hurt yourself and others due to drinking and driving?