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Show Page HILL TOP TIMES 6 April 2, 1976 Utah Drunk Driving Laws Are Tough DEAR ABBOT: Woody Allen recently wrote, "If there is a God, he is certainly an underachiever." How does that grab you? AN ALLEN DISCIPLE DEAR A.D.: I prayed about your question, and the answer I got was, Who's Woody Allen? Actually, God really is handy to have around. Praying gives football teams something to do before and after games. Through the Bible, God provides politicians a source of quotes with which to authenticate their positions. His name gives comedians a way to close their TV shows. .."Good night, and God bless." He takes the blame for natural disasters.. ."Acts of God." When things go badly, we can always say, "It was God's will." And we, citizens of the richest nation in the world, can look dispassionately at the starving millions around us, cluck our tongues at the plight of the poor in the underdeveloped nations, shake our heads sadly at the failure of other nations to adopt our obviously superior way of life, and say about what we see, "God is an underachiever." It sure beats accepting responsibility and doing something ourselves! DEAR ABBOT: At my last base, we had a really active parish council. We (the council) did most of the program planning and had responsibility for large areas of the chapel program. At the base where I'm now assigned there is no parish council and no plan to have one. How come things are so different from base to base? HAPPY HELPER DEAR HAPPY: Many chaplains recognize that they need the help of dedicated laymen in assessing the needs of the local community, in organizing a program to meet those needs, in doing ministry and in evaluating the results of that ministry. They see one of their primary jobs as releasing the skills and the gifts of all the persons in the faith community. They call this enabling ministry. These chaplains are most likely to have a parish council. Whether or not there is a parish council is completely up to the senior chaplain of each faith group at each installation. The same thing can be said for all elements of the chapel program. There is no giant cookie cutter stamping out identical religious programs for every installation. The local chaplains are best able to decide exactly what local needs are and to determine the best way to meet those needs. They have the freedom to make those choices. If you are really interested in a parish council, why not sit down with your chaplains and share your experience with them. Most w ill be delighted to talk with you. THE ABBOT MAKE1 article on Editor's Note: This is the second of a three-par- t Drinking and Driving in Utah and its Drunk Driving laws. The article was written by a member of the Ogden ALC Staff Judge Advocate's Office. By Lt. Col. Ronald N. Boyce, USAFR, attached to the Ogden ALC Staff Judge Advocate's Office. It is often said that an individual is not drunk simply because he has had a drink. This, of course, is true under Utah law. However, a Utah statute provides for the application of certain presumptions as to intoxicants based upon the per cent by weight of alcohol in a person's blood. The percentage may be determined by a blood or breath test. If the percentage of alcohol in the person's blood is less than 0.05 per cent, Utah law presumes that he was not under the influence of an intoxicant. This, however, does not mean that an individual having such a blood alcohol level cannot be prosecuted. If other evidence indicates that the person was under the influence, such that he could not operate his vehicle in a safe manner, he may still be prosecuted and convicted. If the blood alcohol percentage is more than 0.05 per cent but less than 0.08 per cent, there is no presumption of sobriety or intoxication, but the blood alcohol percentage may be considered with other evidence in determining whether a person was under the influence of alcohol. If the blood alcohol percentage is in excess of 0.08 per cent it is presumed that the person is under the influence of intoxicating liquor and such a showing is sufficient to make out a prima facie case against motor vehicle operator. Other evidence might rebut the presumption, but under such circumstances a driver with such a blood alcohol level is in a difficult position to persuade a judge or jury that he was not intoxicated. y L Defensive Driving 0 is Defensive Driving Week and there is no better time for you the motorist to take stock of your driving skills. More important, now is the time to improve your driving skills because even the best drivers can be better. Defensive driving is a skill, a skill that can save your car-yo- ur moncy-an- d maybe your life or the life of a loved one. If you have already completed a course in defensive driving, you should rev iew the principles of the course and pass them on to others who have not yet taken the course. One principle of defensive driving is the rule for judging a safe following distance. To use the rule, first choose a reference point along the road ahead, possibly an over pass, lightpost or traffic sign. When a car in frortof If you passes the reference point, count off you reach the reference point before you finish the two-secon- d two-second- s. two-secon- d ALWAYS 200 YAR Of IT fOR TMICK ... MAKING PBMOCRACY WORK'. IM TME- - count, you are following too closely. Another principle of defensive driving involves moving your foot off the accelerator and poising it ov er the brake pedal when approaching intersections or other potentially dangerous areas. This technique minimizes reaction time and can cut stopping distance by as much as 25 feet at 30 miles per hour or nearly 50 feet at 55miles per hour. Today's traffic demands a special kind of skill. Learn and practice defensive driving. (AFNS) Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase use or or e of the purchaser, palronagr without regard to the rac, creed, color, national origin user, or patron. - PK- JOHN PAt I. ;RNKK If you own a motorcycle, it is assumed that you have instruction in its mechanical operation, and that you are basically a cautious operator. Nonetheless, there has been a sharp increase in motor vehicle acc idents involving motorcycles accidents which, on the large part, should not have occurred. Because of this, motorcycle operators should review some rather basic safety procedures. Begin with a careful review of the operator s manual, and a knowledge of the controls, as well as local and state traffic laws. As an operator, you should be aware of the fac t that while on the road, you are literally invisible and that in a collision with an automobile, the motorcycle never wins. far more important to the safe operation of your motorcycle is establishing good driving habits: periodic inspections of equipment, making clear signals w hen turning, never tail gating and always, asa general ruleof thumb, expecting other drivers todo the unexpected. Eighty per cent of motor safety is common sense. As a motor-cyle drier. you are exposed to the elements. You seldom go out when the weather is extremely bad. If you do. then common sense will tell you to reduce your speed, stay in low gear, and to wear proper protective clothing, 'which should always include a helmet and goggles for glasses). Safety officials have shown that several motorcycle fatalities could have been prevented if only the individual had been wearing headgear. So, for the c heap thrill of feeling your hair blow in the wind, you run the risk of getting your head crushed. (And, if you're a Ser iceman, you don't have that much hair anyway, so be safe, and wear a helmet.) If you have mirrors (and you should on both the left and right of the handlebars) use them. The manufacturerdidn't mount them on the bike and tack it onto the sale price just for ornament. They're there to see w hat is behind you and what it's up to. It's an added precaution to theck your blind side before passing or switching lanes because your mirrors won't always pick up some of the small cars. When braking on wet surfaces, avoid using the front brake unless absolutely necessary. Just close the throttle to slow down and then apply the rear brake genUy. Another safety measure, and some states require this by law, would be to leave your headlight on during all times of operation. First and last, be sensible. Don't assume anything. Drive like your life decided upon it; and don't kid yourself, it does. already-receive- c April SMALL B The blood alcohol percentage presumptions mentioned above are among the strictest in the nation. A driver who has been placed under arrest may refuse to take a breath or blood test. However, upon refusal the driver loses his license for one year. A recently enacted statute in Utah makes it absolutely illegal for a person to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .10 per cent or greater. Upon such a showing, the prosecution has made out its case and there is virtually no defense to the charge. The punishment is the same as that for conviction of drunk driving. THIS A BOOM YHAK... all Safety Hints For Cyclists confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of equal opportunities by an advertiser will Red Cross. The Good Neighbor. in the refusal to print advertising from that source. MorMedia Sale. Inc. Telephone Ogden layton, 3ft-9ft.- Sorry classifieds by mail only: P.O. lio 1W, 5; Kaysv ille, Utah 81037. or Salt ke City, 277- - |