Is a person with a gun more dangerous than a drunken/ drugged driver ?

North of 49

I totally agree with you - a person with a car can be far more dangerous. Both are only machine parts and the car can do more damage than the gun. Having said that, the car was built to help people where a gun was manufactured to kill things. So, if you collide in a vehicle and kill someone, it is more socially accepted than a guy getting drunk and kill someone (even accidental discharge) with a gun.

When I was on highway patrol, I investigated motor vehicle accidents caused by drunk drivers where in one case, 6 people were killed. I looked after the file, did all the on scene crime investigation, laid the criminal charges and convicted the person. A few weeks later, a murder takes place and the General Duty Detachment brings in 6 special detective investigators, turns 1/2 the detachment into a war room with charts etc and all us highway patrol guys looked at each other and just shrugged . . couldn't believe it.

Sarah M

I'm not sure what to think on which is more dangerous but I definitely agree that drunk drivers should be jailed - we're far too soft on people these days.

My partner is a cop, and he met a man from a country where people are too scared to commit any crime because they are terrified of the sentence - we need that here!

Mark

i dont think so anyway, a person with a gun is not always intending to use it, most of gun owners use it as a detterent, which they probably dont intend on using.

a drunken driver cant control what he/she does, so their definately more dangerous.

Scouse

Both are dangerous and should be in the slammer. In UK the handgun is illegal anyway and the intent is to kill or aid in a criminal offence. I do not think yo can actually measure one against the other

pranxstir27

They are both dangerous, but I'm getting scared that someday, every crazy moron will be able to legally carry a gun in public around my child. Thanks to everyone thinking they should be able to bear arms. If this happens I think everyone carrying a gun should have to wear a sticker on your forehead. That way when I pass you with my child, I know to get the hell away from you. I really don't care if someone has had the gun safety class. Guns sre stupid! They should all be illegal!. I also believe that gun violence is more pre meditated too. I don't believe pulling a trigger is an accident unless its a child doing it. Even then the parents should be sent to prison for not locking the gun up right. I believe drunk drivers who kill or injure someone, should go to prison for a long time. But for a simple DUI, I think it should at least be a year in prison.

Loulla

In terms of danger to others, they're as bad as one another as both are probably not in the best control of their actions, and neither are predictable in their next move.

The reason why drink driving is more common that gun crime is because, the people who drive when drunk see themselves as law abiding, decent people. Plus there is the thing that the accidents they see on tv etc as a warning against drink driving as "it'll never happen to me, I'm too clever/able to resist the effect of alcohol/careful a driver"
and therefore the problem is more widespread then gun crime.

AL G

They can't jail more people, the prisons are overcrowded so they have to give lesser sentences

Statistics from the Prison reform trust showing two thirds of the UK's prisons are overcrowded
http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/standard.asp?id=1490

"This summer almost two thirds of the prisons in England and Wales are officially overcrowded according to Ministry of Justice figures just released. There are now over 10,000 more people in the prison system than it is designed to hold. 87 out of 142 jails are over the Prison Serviceâ€™s Certified Normal Accommodation: â€œthe good, decent standard of accommodation that the Service aspires to provide all prisonersâ€. Worse still, 15 prisons were full beyond even their safe overcrowding limit in July."

If they Jailed them where would they put them?

spoon

There are far too many variables in this question. Pistol? Rifle? Shotgun? What are his intentions? Is the drunk driver in town? Country? What are his intentions?
In a bus the driver could head off a cliff and kill everyone on board by accident, - i.e. without intending to. An accident with a gun is never going to have that size of damage. However it is very rare that drivers of buses do this kind of thing intentionally.
I think that it boils down to intent. To have the intention of taking life gives an indication that a person has little value of life and should be treated harsher than someone who kills accidentally. However, even after having one drink it is known fact that driving is impaired. So while there is no intent to kill when drunk driving, the chance of an iccident is still being taken. It is a risk the driver is prepared to take...

Mark C

Statistically you argue any case you care to given those two criteria.

So -- on that basis all I will say is that an intoxicated person with a gun does not usually have the same potential for damage as a similar in a car.

Regarding the prevalence of each scenario I would venture that many many more legally licensed individuals are regularly unfit to drive through drink/drugs than licensed Gunowners unfit to shoot.
Drugs especially are endemic among younger people who often flout the rule because legislation is woolly and there is no eqiuvalent of the Breathalyser.

Best Wishes

Dan W

Cars are more dangerous unless there is a clear intent aand then usually only one person is targeted but several may be hit.
I agree on prison for DUI, American for Driving Under the Influence, icludes both drugs and alcohol. It's not an accident that the drivers got behind the wheel.

uk_pindar

I can see your point, but its based on might have beens. WE have too many laws based on what might happen. Someone 'might' get shot/run over. Before we got tricked into living under admiralty law, laws punished those who actually did something not those who might do something.Once you get into the mindset of punishing people for what might happen where does it all stop.

Hookit

A person who is drunk and or drugged up is always a danger. However a person with a gun might be simply target shooting or clays. If you asked is an armed robber as dangerous as a drink driver or a driver on drugs I would say yes.
These is never a reason to drink and drive or to take drugs and drive however there are lots of reasons a person who owns a gun is not a danger.

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