The following is in reference to the court case that just ended in Raleigh involving a doctor crashing into and killing a 20 year old girl.

What kind of message do we send as a society when an individual is intoxicated 3 times the legal limit (BAC 0.24) and is driving twice the speed limit (90mph) on a residential city street and kills someone and they are sentenced to only 3 years in prison?  This is the maximum the judge could have sentenced with aggravating factors.

On another note, I think highlights well one of the issues we face as a community if we are to become a more sustainable society.  How can we increase cycling and walking in our community when we lack the legal protection necessary to do so?  It is not realistic to expect people to ride bikes if: A) traffic laws are not more strictly enforced B) legal sanctions are inadequate and C) public awareness/education campaigns do not exist?

This legal protection should not be understated.  Obviously, prevention of collisions is key however, in the event they do occur, adequate legal protection is key to recovering damages.  It maybe about time that NC started looking into vulnerable user laws, more information can be found here: http://www.stc-law.com/vulnerable.html

Don’t let people drive away drunk from a party, you may save a life…

Timur Ender

senior, criminology