46. JoJo - Anybody who has had a few beers or 3 mixed drinks (which you say will bring their blood alcohol level to the legal limit) is taking a great risk with their own and others' lives if they get behind the wheel of a car. Plenty of people manage to get home safely regardless, but they're just lucky and someday that luck may run out.

Typically someone actually charged with a DUI has driven drunk before many times. The police can't be everywhere, scrutinizing people's driving and trying to decide whether or not to stop the car for a sobriety test. So prevention is important. The reason the consequences of a DUI need to be severe is to encourage people to take steps while they are still sober so they won't even try to drive home drunk - after you're drunk, it's too late to expect a sensible decision. The consequences of a DUI arrest also might help people get up the courage to take the car keys away from a friend at the right time.

The legal limit is just the level at which it is virtually no contest to be charged with a DUI if you are noticed by police. Saves a lot of pointless arguments in court.

But you can be charged with DUI with blood alcohol below the legal limit if your driving is impaired and you fail the field sobriety tests. Many people are impaired drivers well before that legal limit - it's very individual, depends also on weight, how much food is in your stomach, etc. as well as the road conditions and traffic. My mother would practically be under the table with one glass of chianti if she hadn't eaten yet, for example. I've been sober around people of all sizes and ages and both genders who have had just one drink, and it's obvious that they are not as alert even at that point. If you're drinking along with them and so have a similar amount of alcohol in your system, you might think otherwise -- but that feeling of false confidence is the effect of the alcohol on you, also.

Some people may be able to drive safely above the legal limit for blood alcohol, but they have to prove it by the way they drive and, if stopped, by the field sobriety tests. In this case, the blood alcohol level is irrelevant because he failed the field sobriety tests and also was driving badly. If he hadn't been swerving (a classic sign of a drunk driver), he never would have attracted the attention of the police in the first place. So unless the police are doing spot checks, the rare person who truly can "drink and drive" safely won't be stopped

Save your sympathy for the sober passengers in the car rather than the "victims" of tough DUI laws. When I was about 16, I was "driven" home from a babysitting job by a woman who was drunk as the proverbial skunk. I thought I was going to die that night. Not a police car in sight, unfortunately. The only reason we both survived (besides a lot of luck) was that she was the only one on the road, except for lots of trees that were just barely missed as she swerved from one side to the other.

Posted at 6:09PM on Mar 26th 2008 by jwoolman

47. TO NUMBER 21

"14 Your usage of the term, "White Trash" is incorrect in this case. Technically, Sambora isn't "white"; he's Latin, as evidenced by his surname, S-A-M-B-O-R-A. But he's still trash, no matter what the ethnicity.

And why don't y'all use the term, "Black Trash" or "Latin Trash" or "Asian Trash"? Is it just white people who can be trash? RACISTS!"


YOU EFFING MORON.....HE'S POLISH AND ITALIAN FOR ONE. FOR TWO IM WHITE SO I CAN CALL ANOTHER WHITE PERSON WHITE TRASH IF I CHOOSE.

Love #14

Posted at 6:44PM on Mar 26th 2008 by snowchick

48. I think Heather and Ritchie both have booze problems..Better ring up Dr. Phil or Dr. Drew......Poor kid, Ava, good luck with those 2 as parents........

Posted at 7:58PM on Mar 26th 2008 by Enlightened

49. # 49, YOU MORON, SAMBORA IS ITALIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not every last name that ends in a vowel is latin. Think before you write...Your ignorance is showing........

Posted at 8:00PM on Mar 26th 2008 by Enlightened

50. Love the pic...looks like he's wiping his ass.

Posted at 8:03PM on Mar 26th 2008 by Stevo

51. Heather is just as responsible for her daughter being in the vehicle with a drunk. She knows what he is like and yet, she allows him unsupervised visits?...but, then again, she has her own issues, doesn't she?

Posted at 8:26PM on Mar 26th 2008 by djdw61

52. I developed an admiration for Richie last summer when he sought help for his drinking problem. I admired him for realizing he had a problem and he needed to clean up for his daughter. He inspired me to face my own addiction and do something about it. Now I'm rather disappointed in him for not being able to stick with his sobriety for Ava. I still do credit him with helping me though...and that's a good thing.

Posted at 8:37PM on Mar 26th 2008 by Soulmate

53. #53 - So she should instead violate his custody rights and get her custody rights taken away because she fears he might...go out with a sober adult and 2 children to dinner and unwisely drive his car? Damn her for not using her ESP, then using her mind control to force a judge to allow HER to designate Sambora only having supervised visits! Shame!

Posted at 12:29AM on Mar 27th 2008 by What?

54. Sombrero is definitely a Mexican name.

Posted at 12:30AM on Mar 27th 2008 by Carlos

55. He needs to be killed.

Posted at 1:42AM on Mar 27th 2008 by joan crawford

56. I feel badly for him. He obviously realizes he has a problem and is trying to get sober. Not sure why he was out after he'd been drinking. I know he wasn't trying to endanger his own daughter and friend. I hope he gets the help he needs. Personally I think Heather Locklear is a fool to have divorced him but I've never liked her regardless. I know she also is known to be quite the drinker. Good luck to Richie!

Posted at 8:21AM on Mar 27th 2008 by Emily

57. I am Richie Sambora's long time friend and songwriting partner. I am appalled to hear that his daughter was in the car with him. That's what happens when you are the only child. You are only concerned about your own world.

Posted at 1:10PM on Mar 27th 2008 by Tom

58. To Jwoolman, Point taken & thanks for not getting all over my case for taking this view point. I agree with alot you had to say but I have seen 1st hand what a 1st time DWI aresst can do to a young person who does not make it a habit to drive drunk but was unfortunate to have 2-3 drinks and drive home thinking they are not impaired in any way, I do feel for the family's who have lost loved ones to habitual drunk drivers who drive with or without a valid driver license and have no regard if they are about to kill someone, those ppl make me very angry!

Posted at 3:44PM on Mar 27th 2008 by JoJo

59. I have agree with jojo, i know to many people who have dui's in the past 10 years, it was not like that when i grew up and the bac was .15, now that is drunk, not ,08*

Posted at 3:57PM on Mar 27th 2008 by Robbie

60. JoJo and Robbie - Get to AA. You don't know anyone who hasn't gotten a DUI?? Christ, I don't know anyone who HAS gotten a DUI. Those of us who are, well, over the age of about 12 know better. Take a fricking cab, you selfish drunks!

Posted at 6:55PM on Mar 27th 2008 by Del