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'I See Handcuffs': Osment Charged in DUI
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060818/D8JJ16T83.html
Aug 18, 3:22 PM (ET)
GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) - Teen actor Haley Joel Osment, who suffered a broken rib last month when his car struck a mailbox, faces up to six months in jail on charges that he was driving drunk and possessing marijuana, authorities said.
Osment's blood-alcohol level after the July 20 crash was measured at .16 percent, twice the legal limit, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.
The 18-year-old actor was charged Thursday with misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, marijuana possession and driving under the influence with the special allegation of having a blood-alcohol content of .15 percent or higher. He also faces a vehicle code infraction of being under the age of 21 and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .05 percent or greater.
Osment was scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 19 in Glendale Superior Court.
His attorney will work with authorities to arrange a time for the star of such films as "The Sixth Sense" and "Pay it Forward" to surrender, Robison said. The district attorney plans to request that bail be set at $15,000.
DreamWorks spokesman and family friend Marvin Levy said Thursday the family would have "no comment at this time" on the charges. Levy said Wednesday that Osment has recovered from injuries that landed him in the hospital and is preparing to attend college in the fall.
The actor recently finished work on the film "Home of the Giants."
"He's fine. The injuries were slight, not serious," Levy said.
Authorities said Osment was driving home alone about 1 a.m. when his 1995 Saturn hit a mailbox and flipped over.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press
(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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I guess the age thing is only a US issue. Here the drinking age is 18. But stupid brat to drive with alcohol in his body
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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His rents need to beat his butt. I think he is an awsome young man but this just shows hes stupid.
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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Is it not likely that by setting such a ridiculously high drinking age (which confuses me -- if you're 'of age' at 18, surely you should be allowed to do anything that other people are allowed to do?) it makes it more likely that American teenagers will indulge in binge drinking and alcoholism? 'The forbidden fruit' and all that?
Hmmph. More American puritanism, I suppose. Like the whole obsessed-with-sex, especially on network television, thing. The rest of the world looks on and laughs.
That said, I would not excuse Haley Joel in any respect. It's damn stupid to drink and drive.
David
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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It was done, it seems, to lower the number of kids killed in drink/drive accidents. At one point the age was 18 like ours. Apparently raising the age lowered the kill rate.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Brief history of the minimum legal drinking age (U.S.)
After Prohibition, nearly all states restricting youth access to alcohol designated 21 as the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA). Between 1970 and 1975, however, 29 states lowered the MLDA to 18, 19, or 20. These changes occurred when the minimum age for other activities, such as voting, also were being lowered. Scientists began studying the effects of the lowered MLDA, focusing particularly on the incidence of motor vehicle crashes, the leading cause of death among teenagers. Several studies in the 1970s found that motor vehicle crashes increased significantly among teens when the MLDA was lowered.
With evidence that a lower drinking age resulted in more traffic injuries and fatalities among youth, citizen advocacy groups pressured states to restore the MLDA to 21. Because of such advocacy campaigns, 16 states increased their MLDAs between September 1976 and January 1983. Resistance from other states, and concern that minors would travel across state lines to purchase and consume alcohol, prompted the federal government in 1984 to enact the Uniform Drinking Age Act, which mandated reduced federal transportation funds to those states that did not raise the MLDA to 21. Among alcohol control policies, the MLDA has been the most studied: since the 1970s, at least 70 studies have examined the effects of either increasing or decreasing the MLDA.
Research findings
A higher minimum legal drinking age is effective in preventing alcohol-related deaths and injuries among youth. When the MLDA has been lowered, injury and death rates increase, and when the MLDA is increased, death and injury rates decline.
A higher MLDA results in fewer alcohol-related problems among youth, and the 21-year-old MLDA saves the lives of well over 1,000 youth each year. Conversely, when the MLDA is lowered, motor vehicle crashes and deaths among youth increase. At least 50 studies have evaluated this correlation.
A common argument among opponents of a higher MLDA is that because many minors still drink and purchase alcohol, the policy doesn't work. The evidence shows, however, that although many youth still consume alcohol, they drink less and experience fewer alcohol-related injuries and deaths.
Research shows that when the MLDA is 21, people under age 21 drink less overall and continue to do so through their early twenties.
Regarding Europeans and alcohol use among youth, research confirms that Europeans have rates of alcohol-related diseases (such as cirrhosis of the liver) similar to or higher than those in the U.S. population. However, drinking and driving among youth may not be as great a problem in Europe as in the U.S. Compared to their American counterparts, European youth must be older to obtain their drivers' licenses, are less likely to have a car, and are more inclined to use public transportation.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/13246.html
(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
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These days, it is very difficult to get a driving licence in the UK; from anecdotal evidence, I think it may be harder than it has ever been. (I failed three times.) Most people don't get a licence until 19, 20, or in many cases, the early or mid-twenties. Insurance is also very expensive, as is running a car -- and using someone else's car requires permission, so people are presumably more likely to be careful when they do that.
There has also been a very effective campaign against drink-driving in recent years. I would never consider drinking "a few drinks" and driving; I would not even have a pint without waiting a decent interval to make sure I am stone-cold sober. I think the same attitude is quite common among young British people these days. In contrast, older generations are full of anecdotes about how, when they were students, they ended up in the ditch on the way home after twelve pints. Admittedly the roads were possibly less busy then, and the drink-driving rules rather less clear-cut.
Instead of raising the drinking age, it might have been more logical to raise the driving age. At least for British sensibilities. But (responsible) drinking is a God-given right over here, whereas driving is not; I suspect it is the other way round in America.
David
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When I took my first drivers license test in 1957 I failed it. I always attributed that to they tended to fail all boys first attempt. (lol)
In farm country getting ones license at an early age is quite necessary. I don’t know how prevalent it still is but in some rural areas they used to allow boys as young as 14 drive school buses.
If a young man or women is accepted into military service they should be exempted from age restrictions on drinking.
It goes without saying that anyone who has a drink should not drive. I have violated that belief more times then we could count. There were times I drove because I was too drunk to walk. I don’t do any of that anymore. Now I always have someone to drive me or I take a cab.
People who have money like Billy Joel, etc. have no excuse other then stupidity. They could well afford a driver.
Lastly I would like to see a mortality listing of Death by cause. Falling down stairs, Lightning, pool drowning, falling off bikes etc. to show where the greatest concern should be placed. I see from time to time here and there on the web x number of people killed by alligators or what ever. Just think that would be interesting.
Gary
Navyone
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How I miss the good old days.
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Driving at 14?
Honestly, the disparity is absurd. While still a child, you can be trusted to drive a heavy piece of machinery down streets teeming with people, be entrusted with the lives of others, but you can't be trusted to have a single drink at the adult age of 20? It's the combination that is dangerous, and that can be remedied by treating people like adults and educating them. You can be trusted to own and operate a gun at 18 (maybe even earlier); why not a can of beer?
It's as silly as the whole 'being allowed to fight for your country at 16, but not being allowed to have sex until 18' thing.
End of rant.
David
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Deaths-Leading Causes
Data are for U.S. for year 2003)
Number of deaths for leading causes of death (all age groups)
Heart Disease: 685,089
Cancer: 556,902
Stroke: 157,689
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 126,382
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 109,277
Diabetes: 74,219
Influenza/Pneumonia: 65,163
Alzheimer's disease: 63,457
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 42,453
Septicemia: 34,069
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm
(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
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CAUSES OF DEATH, USA, 2002
(1) Diseases of the heart (heart attack mainly) 28.5%
(2) Malignant neoplasms (cancer) 22.8%
(3) Cerebrovascular disease (stroke) 6.7%
(4) Chronic lower respiratory disease (emphysema, chronic bronchitis) 5.1%
(5) Unintentional injuries (accidents) 4.4%
(6) Diabetes mellitus 3.0%
(7) Influenza and pneumonia 2.7%
( Alzheimer's Disease 2.4%
(9) Nephritis and Nephrosis (kidney disease) 1.7%
(10) Septicemia (systemic infection) 1.4%
(11) Intentional self-harm (suicide) 1.3%
(12) Chronic Liver/Cirrhosis (liver disease) 1.1%
(13) Essential Hypertension (high blood pressure) 0.8%
(14) Assault (homicide) 0.7%
(15) All other causes 17.4%
FIVE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH, USA, AGES 15-24, 1998
(1) Accidents 51.8%
(2) Homicide 21.3%
(3) Suicide 16.3%
(4) Cancer 6.8%
(5) Heart Disease 3.9%
TYPES OF ACCIDENTAL DEATHS, USA 2002
(1) Motor vehicle (MVA) 44.3%
(2) Falls 17.8%
(3) Poison,liq/solid 13.0%
(4) Drowning 3.9%
(5) Fires, Burns,Smoke 3.4%
(6) Medical/Surgical Complication 3.1%
(7) Other land transport 1.5%
( Firearms 0.8%
(9) Other (nontransport) 17.8%
(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
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Thank you. But I have visited all of thoes web sites and they dont have the information I would like to see. Next time I see what I am talking about I will send it to the forum.
Gary
Navyone
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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Although I studied statistics at Uni and have both compiled and interpreted them all my working life, this thread illustrates the way in which statistical information is misused - sometimes through ignorance, but more often for political purposes.
EJ, in his 'Semi-useless information' post, refers to research showing that there is a correlation between the minimum legal drinking age and the number of individuals in that age group suffering fatal injuries in traffic accidents. I accept that correlation absolutely. It isn't at all surprising. But it's an isolated piece of statistical information.
The underlying question, surely, is why do so many young people die in motor accidents?
There are three obvious factors which are likely to be of significance.
Alcohol is clearly one factor, but only one. And what is so significant about the age of 21? It seems likely that this age has been selected for historical, rather than scientific reasons. UK reasearch, which is reflected in heavily-surcharged insurance premiums, indicates that young people under 25 are much more likely to be involved in motor accidents than those who are older. It seems highly probable that raising the minimum drinking age to 25 would result in a further reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities.
As Deeej has already mentioned, the minimum driving age is also relevant; raising the minimum age to 18 would also reduce traffic fatalities among young people, but such action would not be politically popular.
And finally, there is the matter of the driving standard which must be achieved before a licence is granted. I don't know precisely what the US test entails, nor do I know how (or indeed if) it varies from state to state, but from what I have heard and read it does seem to be less rigorous than the UK test. Certainly a significant proportion of applicants in the UK fail at least twice before reaching the reqired standard. Beefing-up of the UK test in recent years has had an impact on accident statistics though, as Deeej has already suggested, this will in part be due to the fact that the more rigorous test means that many new drivers are 19, 20 or even 21 before they are qualified to drive alone.
If there is a real will to solve a problem, ALL relevant variables need to be considered. For example, when there are repeated accidents at a particulat location, there is usually a public outcry demanding imposition of a lower speed limit; often, that is exactly what happens. It usually does reduce the number of accidents. But research has shown that it is not speed of itself, but inadequate hazard perception, which is the underlying cause of many accidents. On a fast single carriageway, road lining to create the impression that the road is narrower than it really is - for example, wide bands of hatching at the verges and on the centreline - is even more effective in lowering speed than the imposition of a speed limit.
In short, statistics play an essential part in problem-solving, but they should always be considered against the wider background. Generally, good solutions involve lateral, as well as linear thinking.
Finally, a little rant about the 'European Comparison' in the article. In situations of this kind it is IMPOSSIBLE to make a valid 'European' comparison, though comparisons can be made with individual European countries. Europe is not a federal entity, but a collection of independent states with vast cultural differences between them; far greater, in fact, than the differences between Alaska and Hawaii. The per-capita consumption of alcohol varies enormously from country to country, as does the preferred form of alcohol (wine, beer or spirits) and the minimum legal drinking age. Many French children drink wine from the age of five or six; other countries have inflexible age limits as in the USA. Still others adopt a scaled approach - for example differentiating according to alcoholic strength and/or drinking with or without a meal. The average incidence of cirrhosis in Europe as a whole may well be equal to, or slightly above the US level, but it varies significantly between individual countries, and is presumably highest where alcohol consumption is highest. There is however no correlation between per capita consumption and minimum legal drinking age, so the basic comparative premise is meaningless.
Sorry about the length of this post, but the way statistics are misused raises my blood pressure on a regular basis!
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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driving ages vary greatly in the US from state to state ( http://golocalnet.com/drivingage/ ). Only one state now allows 14 yr olds to get an unrestricted license and I don't think that the steets in South dakota are teeming with anything except bugs.
(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
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In the US the quality of the driving test varies greatly from state to state. where I live, the writen part of the test (what you need to pass to get a learners permit) has 25 multiple choice questions. When I moved here I completed the test in about 2 minutes.
The driving part of the test truly pathetic. You basically drive around some orange cones in the parking lot, then back into a parking space. You can get a license without ever having to prove you can drive in traffic.
(\\__/) And if you don't believe The sun will rise
(='.'=) Stand alone and greet The coming night
(")_(") In the last remaining light. (C. Cornell)
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Is there any way to scale that picture down a bit?
If I were a parent, I wouldn't let a 16 year-old drive my child to school. Don't the drivers need a special licence, anyway? Or is that as easy to get as 'driving the bus round some cones in a car park'?
In the UK, if you're under 25, you'll find it practically impossible to get insurance to drive a public vehicle.
I was always under the impression that it took years to become a good enough driver to be entrusted with the lives of others, especially strangers. Evidently not.
David
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As backward as this state is and can be so stupid sometimes, Our state requires that a driver have a CDL liscense and have at least 7 years experience behind the wheel of a vehicle larger than a pick up truck. I cant believe they let student drivers drive the buses. If I were to get on the bus and a student was driving I wouldnt get on. All the 16 year olds I know are squirlly at best.
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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As I said I don’t know how many places still do it but some rural areas used to have student bus drivers. I would think CDL's would have stopped a lot of that. I recall reading about a 14 year old student bus driver but I can’t verify that. In farm country on private property I think you may still find children of quite young ages operating heavy farm equipment.
Gary
Navyone
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Deeej wrote:
I was always under the impression that it took years to become a good enough driver to be entrusted with the lives of others
ALL drivers are entrusted with the lives of others.
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
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Hi JFR,
>ALL drivers are entrusted with the lives of others.
Absolutely right. But that is not to say that a commercial driver should not be more competent than other drivers. The safety of his passengers is paramount. The threshold for competence does not need to be so high when the risk to others is not so great.
David
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Brian1407a wrote:
If I were to get on the bus and a student was driving I wouldnt get on.
Hmmm. This must be an example of the difference between American and English. How does one get on a bus and not get on a bus simultaneously? 
All the 16 year olds I know are squirlly at best.
Squirlly? Now that's a word that I have never seen before. What does it mean?
Hugs
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
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You ever seen a squirl in the road when a car is coming? Cant make up its mind which way to go.
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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Our squirrels don't stand in the road. They climb the bird table and eat the tits' nuts. Until my father gets out his shotgun, that is.
The grey squirrels have pretty much eliminated the red ones. It's a great pity. I have never seen a red squirrel in my life.
David
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Brian1407a wrote:
You ever seen a squirl in the road when a car is coming? Cant make up its mind which way to go.
Oh, squirrel! Now I understand.  (You see, because in English English 'squirl' would be pronounced something like 'skwerl'. Vive la difference!)
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
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Deeej wrote:
Our squirrels don't stand in the road. They climb the bird table and eat the tits' nuts.
Tits and nuts! Really! What is this board coming to? 
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
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Honestly -- it's obvious what I'm talking about. There's only one type of tits that go together with nuts -- and those are the feathered variety!
Deeej
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Is it appropriate to say that I've suffered badly this year with a squirrel knawing on my peaches?
Honestly - its only a small peachtree, and I've lost around two-thirds of the crop: I finally picked the remainder last week before they were fully ripe. I'm now worried about my apple crop.
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. ... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars." Martin Luther King
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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We still have plenty of red squirrels up here in the civilised part of the UK. Mind you, we shoot the greys on sight, 'cause they're American imports sent over here to get fresh with our nuts!
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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Deeej, you'll still find red squirrels on the Isle of Wight until some eejit takes it into his head to take some American tree rats, aka grey squirrels, across there.
It surprises me that no one has yet taken penguins from the Antarctic and tried to introduce them in the Arctic.
Australians are quite good at upsetting the eco-system, viz cane toads and rabbits.
Hugs
Nigel
I dream of boys with big bulges in their trousers,
Never of girls with big bulges in their blouses.
…and look forward to meeting you in Cóito.
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This MB is full of tits and nuts. We write the comments.
Hugs
N
I dream of boys with big bulges in their trousers,
Never of girls with big bulges in their blouses.
…and look forward to meeting you in Cóito.
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