A community-based initiative known as Alert Cab will be offering free cab rides to tipsy residents from any participating Galesburg bar or restaurant on Dec. 31 from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.

The program has been ongoing for “at least 15 years, if not more,” said Adam Vitale, general manager of G&M Distributors, a company that distributes beer, wine, spirits and other refreshments.

Its main goal is to curb drunk driving on a day that has become synonymous with partying and drinking.

“People who misuse the product we distribute don’t do us any good,” Vitale said.

The free cab rides will take residents from the bar to their homes in Galesburg. Out-of-town residents may call the phone number, although they will have to begin paying for the cab ride once it leaves city limits.

The program is sponsored by the G&M, Dennis Twitty State Farm Insurance, United Cab Company and Galesburg Broadcasting. The cab company can be contacted at 341-6161.

Use of the program has become rampant in recent years, Vitale said, in part because the price of DUI fines has skyrocketed with the passage of new tough-on-crime laws.

On average, a DUI conviction costs $16,100 in Illinois, according to the Secretary of State’s office. The figure includes costs related to increased insurance premiums, legal fees, court costs and income loss.

Knox County Sheriff David Clague also attributed stiffer DUI laws to the decrease in drunk drivers his department sees during the holiday.

“It seems like the number of DUIs has declined,” he said, although the numbers haven’t dropped “as much as I’d like.”

For New Year’s Eve, the sheriff’s department will operate a few checkpoints throughout the area during the evening hours Friday.

In Galesburg, bars will be open for an extra hour, closing at 3 a.m. Saturday instead of 2 a.m. The Police Department will increase the number of on-duty officers well above what a normal shift would call for in response to the busy holiday, said Capt. Lindsey May.

Besides patrolling the roads for drunk drivers, police officers will be making more frequent checks at the town’s taverns while talking to bar owners and occupants to halt disturbances.

And the holiday could be hectic, especially considering two other factors that could also bring more patrons into local establishments: the weather outlook and the night of the week that New Year’s Eve lands on.

For one, temperatures could reach 50 degrees on New Year’s Eve, giving more residents an incentive to go out that night. Additionally, the holiday lands on the weekend, another reason for residents to visit local bars.

All of these factors could mean a very busy night for cab drivers with Alert Cab.

“It’s very important to us,” Vitale said. “Our goal is to keep everyone safe on New Year’s Eve.”

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Salmon was convicted of driving under the influence following a November 2009 traffic stop.

He says he’s learned his lesson, paid his fine and endured losing his license. He’s also completed project Crash.

On New Year’s Eve Salmon says will drive a van as part of a DUI-prevention program by Bennington County Sheriff Chad Schmidt. Salmon will drive a van for people who need a ride.

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The Laramie Boomerang reports that city councilors passed the law in a 8-1 vote Tuesday night.

The new penalties include a mandatory sentence of 7 days in jail for first-time offenders and 30 days for repeat offenders.

The law, which takes effect New Year’s Day, also makes it a crime for anyone to refuse to take a test to determine whether they are drunk.

The penalties are tougher than those laid out by state law and believed to stricter than any other municipality in Wyoming.

The parents of two of the eight University of Wyoming students killed in a 2001 crash with a drunken driver were among those who urged councilors to change the law.

Information from: Laramie Daily Boomerang – Laramie, http://www.laramieboomerang.com

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Operation Zero Tolerance DUI Crackdown is already under way with sobriety checkpoints to be placed at strategic locations throughout the holiday period, according to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. Officials are urging everyone to wear proper safety belts and to use child safety seats, pointing out that is the best defense against a drunk driver.

The GOHS urges those who do drink to appoint a designated driver and remind that anyone breaking DUI laws will go to jail.

“No matter who you are, what you drive or where you drive it, when you’re caught driving impaired, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses. No exceptions,” said GOHS Director Bob Dallas.

Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety Col. Bill Hitchens said the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods are each 78 hours long and warned they could be deadly for motorists.

The Christmas holiday travel period begins Thursday at 6 p.m. and ends at midnight Sunday. The New Year’s travel period begins on Dec. 30 and ends at midnight, Jan. 2.

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Starting Jan. 1, political contributions may no longer be deducted from taxable income.

Corporations that contribute more than $1,000 to a candidate or candidate committee must file a report with the Campaign Spending Commission.

People who have been arrested for DUI will have to blow into an ignition interlock device to test their breath for alcohol before their cars will start.

The Hawaii House Blog says other new laws define acceptable pet enclosures, establish a chief technology officer within the governor’s office and require health insurers to cover screening of colorectal cancer.

Looking for a Hawaii DUI lawyer?

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“This is definitely a big issue,” says Sen. Larry Jent, D-Bozeman, who’s carrying one of the major proposals. “I think the times have changed. … The overall attitude of people who elected us is demanding something be done, that works.”

Jent’s bill would create the crime of “aggravated driving under the influence (DUI),” which targets problem drinkers/drivers and tries to get them off the road.

Attorney General Steve Bullock, a Democrat, has a package of proposals, and another key bill is being sponsored by Sen. Jim Shockley of Victor, a Republican who will chair the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Shockley also is running for Bullock’s job in 2012, but says he’s seen no indication that the debate over drunken-driving will become overly politicized at the Legislature.

“His bills that I like, I’ll support,” Shockley says of Bullock. “His bills that I don’t like, I don’t support. I would expect him to do the same.”

While drunken-driving always attracts some legislative interest, a spate of high-profile DUI deaths has catapulted the issue to center stage this session, with lawmakers and others vowing to attack what they see as a persistent problem in a state they say is too tolerant of driving while drunk.

Tawny Haynes, whose husband Michael, a Highway Patrol officer, was killed by a drunken driver in 2009 while on duty near Kalispell, is among those pushing efforts to improve DUI laws.

“Let’s continue what Michael started,” she said at a news conference with Bullock last week. “He believed we could make a difference, and I do not intend to let that belief die with him.”

Haynes is supporting Bullock’s package, which would require anyone arrested for DUI a second or subsequent time to take breath tests twice a day until their sentence is complete, and make it a crime to refuse to take a breath test when stopped on suspicion of DUI. The penalties for refusing the test would be similar to that of a drunken-driving conviction.

Bullock says 3,000 suspected drunk drivers have refused taking the test this year, figuring it will help them beat the charge, and that it’s time “to close this loophole.”

Shockley says he likes the first idea, but not the second one. Criminalizing the refusal to take a breath or blood test may have constitutional problems, he says, because it amounts to coercing someone to submit to a search.

Instead, Shockley Senate Bill 40 would create a 24-hour state magistrate who can issue warrants almost instantly for law officers, giving them the legal power to force suspects to take a breath or blood test.

However, Shockley’s proposal will cost money — perhaps $500,000 for the next two years. He says the cost might make it a tough pill to swallow at a Legislature where the state budget is tight, and that he’ll be looking for a way to pass the proposal separate from the money, if need be.

Bullock also is supporting creation of the aggravated-DUI offense, which kicks in for those found guilty of driving drunk with an unusually high blood-alcohol content.

Jent’s Senate Bill 15 sets the benchmark for aggravated DUI at 0.20 percent, more than twice the legal limit of intoxication of 0.08 percent.

Those convicted of the offense will get longer periods of probation, during which they could be ordered to undergo intensive alcohol treatment or take part in the twice-a-day breath test, Jent says.

“A person who is 0.20 percent has developed an alarming tolerance to alcohol just to be able to get in and function and operate the vehicle,” he says. “What the bill seeks to do is single out those drivers and … change the behavior of those individuals. …

“We want to intercept these people before they become a fourth-time DUI. We want to find out who these people are, and hopefully change their behavior and save lives at the same time.”

Bullock wants to set aggravated DUI at a lower 0.15 percent. Jent says he’ll take a look at that level, but wants to know the reasoning behind it.

Several other proposals cracking down in drunk drivers also are expected before the 2011 Legislature, as policymakers clearly plan to make a mark on this issue next session.

“It’s become pretty clear to me that we aren’t doing enough to combat drunken driving,” Bullock says.

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The free volunteer service, which provides motorists with a free ride home if they can’t drive themselves, has provided 2,458 rides in the Lower Mainland since it started operating for the season on Nov. 26. That’s a 37-per-cent increase over the same time last year, when it provided 1,793 rides.

Operation Red Nose has made 4,131 trips in B.C., including Comox, Nanaimo, Prince George, Kamloops and Williams Lake.

“Our demand is definitely up from previous years,” said Marie-Chantal Fortin, national coordinator for Operation Red Nose. “[The new law] has had an impact. It is creating more pressure on our local host organizations.”

Operation Red Nose also operates throughout the Lower Mainland, stretching from the North Shore to Chilliwack, but excludes some cities such as Vancouver and Burnaby.

If a driver needs a ride, they can call the local ORN office. Three volunteers — two to drive the customer home in their car, and the other to follow in another vehicle — will respond to the call.

“We want them to think of all the different ways to get home before they go out. Have a designated driver, call a friend or relative, use public transit,” Fortin said. “There are more people thinking of that, for sure.”

Operation Red Nose isn’t the only one feeling the squeeze, as more people look to alternative ways to get home late at night.

On Thursday, the Canadian Auto Workers’ Union 111, representing bus drivers, called for the provincial government to extend weekend SkyTrain and NightBus services to help partygoers get home safely.

The move, which is supported by bar and restaurant owners, also has the backing of B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Kevin Falcon, who said Thursday he is committed to working with TransLink to look at the options.

Falcon, MLA for Cloverdale, noted the 3 a.m. closing time in Vancouver’s entertainment district is well after the last SkyTrain operates. The last Expo Line train from Waterfront Station leaves at 1:16 a.m., while the final Millennium Line train is at 1:11 a.m., and the last Canada Line train at 1:15 a.m.

“This is an opportunity to address a serious challenge for young people on Friday and Saturday nights,” Falcon said in a statement. “If we are encouraging young adults to make responsible decisions, offering realistic transit alternatives has got to be part of that equation.”

But TransLink so far isn’t budging on the demands, which were pitched while the bus drivers’ union is negotiating a new collective agreement and the Liberals are seeking a new leader.

TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie declined to comment on the issue, saying no specific proposals have come forward.

Don MacLeod, president of CAW 111, wouldn’t cite specifics, saying only that more service is needed. While the union backs new laws to curb drunk driving, he said, without extended Night-Bus and SkyTrain service those laws will only hurt the economy and tempt drinkers to risk arrest by driving because they have no options.

TransLink runs 12 night bus service routes — 11 originating in downtown Vancouver — and none is offered 24 hours a day, while SkyTrain shuts down for maintenance between about 1 and 5 a.m.

“The number-one issue, of course, is that if you’re impaired you shouldn’t get behind the wheel,” MacLeod said. “People are just consuming pop now because they have no way of getting home.

“The buses are already there, the drivers are already there; it’s just a case of funding from the provincial government.”

Meanwhile, taxi drivers have rejigged their schedules to try to serve the nightclub crowd on Friday and Saturday nights. Blacktop driver Amrik Mahil, president of the Association of Pacific Taxi Owners, said the concerns of patrons who couldn’t get a taxi out of downtown led his organization to change to a 4:30 a.m. start a month ago.

This will allow the drivers to serve the bar rush, which is usually over by 3:30 a.m., he said. Previously, cab drivers would finish at 4 a.m. and then gas up, leaving about 100 cars out of service.

“Only Friday and Saturday nights are troubling because of the bar rush,” Mahil said.

Under the new drunk-driving law, motorists caught in the “warn” range (between 0.05 and 0.08 blood-alcohol content) face, if a first offence, an immediate three-day driving ban and various penalties. Those who blow over 0.08 per cent face a 90-day driving ban, will see their car impounded for 30 days, and may face a criminal charge and up to $4,060 in penalties.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General said that between Sept. 20 and Nov. 14, about 3,000 people received driving prohibitions for blowing over 0.05, and more than 2,600 vehicles were impounded.

Solicitor-General Rich Coleman said he would support extended hours for transit, noting it makes sense not only for partygoers, but also for people who have to work late downtown.

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The new TV commercial, which shows the aftermath of a DUI arrest, helps illustrate the commitment in resources and personnel between law enforcement and prosecutors in combating impaired driving. Additionally, SCDPS awarded the SC Commission on Prosecution Coordination a $1.2 million federal grant this year to hire a special prosecutor in each of the state’s16 judicial circuits to work exclusively on DUI cases.

“Enforcement, of course, is the most visible aspect of our fight against DUI,” SCDPS Director Mark Keel said. “However, the expeditious adjudication of DUI cases is equally important.”

The 60-second TV commercial that will begin airing Saturday is a follow-up to one that debuted during the Labor Day DUI enforcement effort. A preview of the new commercial was shown Thursday to media, solicitors and law enforcement representatives at simultaneous news events in Columbia, Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach.

The commercial continues the story of a man stopped by a Highway Patrol trooper on suspicion of DUI and shows the effects his arrest has on his family as he heads to court.

SCDPS and local law enforcement agencies statewide will combine efforts to combat impaired driving during the Sober or Slammer holiday crackdown, from December 16 to January 3. The goal of the campaign is to lower the number of alcohol-related crashes and fatalities and increase compliance with the state’s DUI laws. SCDPS also continues to encourage motorists to call *HP or *47 to report suspected drunk drivers before they can do any harm to themselves or others on the road.

“The Highway Patrol has seen a 72 percent increase in DUI arrests since 2006,” Colonel F.K. Lancaster Jr. said. “I think this should make it clear that the chances of being arrested for DUI in South Carolina are greater than ever before. The Highway Patrol and local law enforcement continue a focused crackdown on South Carolina’s number one highway killer.”

A DUI arrest can create a huge financial burden. The following are just a few of the average costs for a first offense DUI. (Costs for subsequent offenses or a felony DUI charge would be higher.):

Motor vehicle insurance fees: The cost of insurance typically doubles for at least the first three years after a DUI conviction. For the average driver in South Carolina that means a total increase of about $3,000.

Court fees: The fines for a DUI in South Carolina can be up to $2,000, but will be a minimum of $1,000.

Attorney fees: According to attorneys throughout the state, $3,500 is the average cost to fight a first offense DUI.

Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP): Drivers charged with DUI in South Carolina are required to go through the ADSAP program. The minimum cost for ADSAP is $500; additional fees could be as high as $2,500.

Bail bondsman: Bail bondsmen charge a maximum of 15 percent of the fine. For a DUI, that equates to at least $150.

Vehicle towing: Having the vehicle towed after a DUI arrest generally costs about $150;

License reinstatement fee: The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles charges a $100 license reinstatement fee.

Other DUI costs can be more long-term including loss of employment (due to the DUI charge itself or not having a license to get to work), time off from work fighting the charges, increases in life insurance premiums and/or losing a professional license.

During the last Christmas/New Year’s holiday enforcement mobilization from December 16, 2009 to January 3, 2010, 41 people were killed in traffic collisions. Preliminary state data from the Office of Highway Safety shows that 17 of those deaths were the result of a DUI-related collision.

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The linebacker and former defensive co-captain was charged with driving under the influence after being arrested in Denver early on the morning of Nov. 12, just hours before he was supposed to report to work at Dove Valley.

It was Williams’ second such arrest. He pleaded guilty in September 2005 to driving drunk and was ordered to perform 24 hours of community service. After that, he said he realized he needed to get a designated driver whenever he went out partying, and the team provides drivers to its players.

District attorney’s spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough said Williams was pulled over at 2:40 a.m. for driving without headlights on. He was cited with DUI, a misdemeanor, as well as driving without headlights.

Williams was subsequently stripped of his captaincy by the Broncos.

By waiving the arraignment, Williams avoided having to appear in court Monday. A court date for Williams trial was expected to be set for January.

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“Anyone given permission by the state of (Arizona) to use medical marijuana should have their driver’s license revoked as I think it is still illegal to drive under the influence of drugs such as marijuana. Was there some exemption in the new law that says they also now have the right to have a driver’s license and use pot regularly?” he wrote.

It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and a person who is “impaired to the slightest degree” is subject to arrest, said Lt. Lew Bentley, Tucson Police Department’s traffic division commander. That doesn’t change if they have a prescription or doctor’s permission for the substance that is impairing them, he said.

“It is a violation of the DUI laws to operate a motor vehicle when you are impaired, whether it be alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin or any one of several other substances including prescription drugs,” he said. “Even if a person has a prescription for marijuana, it is still illegal to drive a motor vehicle while under the influence if their ability to operate it is impaired by the slightest degree. The same holds true for other prescription drugs.”

That said, he’s hoping that medical marijuana comes with the same warnings about not operating a vehicle or other heavy machinery when using the drug, Bentley said.

Moberly sees it as a preventative measure.

“If they had to forfeit their license, it would sure cut down on the people with sore fingers that need medical marijuana, and only the people that really need help would be getting it. It is bad enough that we are not a whole lot harder on drunk drivers, and now we could be turning a whole lot more impaired drivers onto our roads,” Moberly wrote.

Bentley responded to that point by saying the state and local authorities don’t revoke licenses just because a person has a prescription for any other drug, “so I don’t believe we could do that with marijuana prescriptions.”

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