“Drive Hammered, Get Nailed” is a Lie

Dec. 31, 2006 - PRLog -- Law enforcement agencies in the State of Washington adopted, “Drive Hammered, Get Nailed” as a Driving Under the Influence ad campaign slogan. In part this is a lie. “Drive hammered, get nailed” sends an improper message to the citizenry of Washington State. Washington State does not enforce a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) criminal law. Washington enforces a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) criminal law. The former sends a message that the driver must be drunk, intoxicated or “hammered.” The latter only requires a driver to be impaired meaning they are affected by an appreciable degree due to their consumption of intoxicants.

It may be a fine line, but the general public would agree there is a difference between being “buzzed” and being intoxicated, drunk or hammered. Below are the results of a Google search of “define:intoxication”:

Definitions of intoxication on the Web:

Poisoning: the physiological state produced by a poison or other toxic substance

Drunkenness: a temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol

Excitement and elation beyond the bounds of sobriety; "the intoxication of wealth and power"
Princeton

Drunkenness, in its most common usage, is the state of being intoxicated with alcohol (i.e. ethanol) to a sufficient degree to impair mental and motor functioning.
Wikipedia

The state of being under the influence of a substance. (1,2,3,4)
Odyssey Center

The condition of being drunk. An abnormal state that is essentially alcohol poisoning. It is characterized by slurred speech and a loss of coordination.
Science Education

Literally, a state of being poisoned or drugged; a condition produced by use (abuse) of toxic drugs, alcohol, barbiturates, and so forth.
Addiction Rehabilitation Glossary

Being under the influence of, and responding to, the acute effects of a psychoactive drug. Intoxication typically includes feelings of pleasure, altered emotional responsiveness, altered perception, and impaired judgment and performance.
Addiction Studies Glossary

Poisoning. A state of being tainted with toxins, particularly those produced by microorganisms that have infected food.
Gluten Feeda Glossary

A criminal defense that generally requires that the intoxication be involuntary.
IEJS Glossary

One of the several terms used to describe the degradation of driving ability and other faculties due to ingestion of alcohol or other drugs. The term usually connotes very easily observable and severe effects of alcohol, and often is used inter-changeably with the word "drunk." However, "intoxication" sometimes has a quasi-legal connotation as well and may be linked with a specific level of BAC.
LAPD

There is a mixture of results from impaired to drunk. There is further support indicating there is a difference between drunk and impaired. Below is the chart comprised of information from trusted sources such as, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the American Medical Association, the National Commission Against Drunk Driving, and WebMD. Washington State’s legal limit is 0.08.

Chart 1
< http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d76/St0rmshadow/BAC-Cha... >

The typical indicators of an individual that is drunk, intoxicated or hammered are found in the 0.10 and above range. However, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle at just 0.08. If you are driving buzzed in the State of Washington, chances are you are in violation of the DUI criminal statute.

Drive hammered, get nailed is a lie. Do not trust this ad campaign. You will be arrested for DUI by operating a motor vehicle before you become hammered. I formally prosecuted and defended individuals charged with DUI. Some of these individuals were arrested and criminally charged for DUI with BAC levels of only 0.03. Drive hammered, get nailed is a lie. Do not rely upon this government sponsored advertisement.

It is offensive Washington State Law Enforcement agencies support this advertising slogan, and it is abhorrent Washington State taxes pay for this deceptive campaign. It begs the question: Is our government really interested in preventing DUI? A DUI generates massive revenue for many interested parties. An individual convicted of DUI will on average pay $20,000.00 from the time of their arrest until the termination of probation. There are 47,000 DUI arrests annually in the State of Washington. That equates to high revenues.

If our government really was interested in preventing DUI and the death and destruction it causes our government would require Ignition Interlock Devices as standard equipment for every vehicle operated on the roadways across the entire United States.

Website: www.seattle-duiattorney.com/