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ArcticStones's avatar

Kirk Francis, the Penobscot Nation Chief, is lucky that he was not caught drunk driving in Norway. Any Norwegian convicted of a DUI (having a blood alcohol level exceeding 0.02%) receives a double punishment:

– 30 days in jail, minimum

– A fine equal to 10% of your gross annual income

– In addition, you risk losing your license for one year

No exceptions! (Or virtually none. Right now the Norwegian Supreme Court is considering the case of a woman in northern Norway, who fled by car from her violent boyfriend. Here’s an article about that, albeit with an incorrect translation of the heading. Also, her blood-alcohol level was 0.136 – almost seven times Norway’s legal max.)

https://www-nrk-no.translate.goog/tromsogfinnmark/promillekjorte-for-a-unnslippe-ekskjaeresten-_-na-tar-hoyesterett-saken-1.17418025?_x_tr_sl=no&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

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PollJunkie's avatar

Makes total sense, Norwegians do seem do know what kind of crimes need tough punishment and what do not. Not to say that I think it will work here.

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ArcticStones's avatar

I don’t think Norwegians drink less than Americans. But there will almost always be a designated driver, or people take a cab or bus home. If it’s clear a person who is drunk intends to drive home, someone will almost always step in and try to stop them, whether to call a cab or offer them a couch.

I know people who have spent a month in jail and paid the steep fine, but I don’t know any repeat offenders. Believe me, the threat of those punishments, and the knowledge that there are no exceptions, really does have a preventive effect!

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