DUI/DWI in Okinawa

DUI/DWI in Okinawa

If you are thinking of driving while drunk here or drinking and driving think of what happends if you get caught! Are you willing to lose everything? Whats more important a career in the military or drinking??

Did you know if you get a DUI or DWI here in Okinawa all the consequences?

Depending on the severity of the offense the price for a 1st time conviction ranges from $4,000.00 to more than $7,000.00 easily. And thats in US $. First you need to think about:

Fines - $2,000.00 - $5,000.00

Towing - $125.00 - $175.00

Fee's - legal costs and blood alcohol levels

You think that is nothing...now for the punishment! Without personal injury here is the maxium punishment.

#1 - On base is a bad-conduct discharge

#2 - 6mo confinement

#3 - Forfeiture of all pay and allowances

#4 - They can be an Article 15 (depending on circumstances and a Commander's decision)

#5 - Suspended license for 1yr (need to sell car)

#6 - Prison sentences

#7 - Personal injury lawsuits (if you hit someone).

#8 - Reduction in rank

And you are willing to lose your career for this? That's messed up!!

Here on Kadena if we go 60 days with NO DUI/DWI our military guys get an extra day off (down day). Here we got close 56 or 59 days, and the next day I went thru the gate it said "0" days. And here is the one who ruined our down day. That was the highest we ever got too, lately we can't even make it past 30 days.

If someone in another branch of the military or if anyone w/ SOFA status drives on base drunk, it goes back to zero.

Under the Japanese Traffic Law, a driver who operates a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol will face a maximum fine of 300,000 yen (about $2,800). A driver who clearly is intoxicated — has difficulty talking coherently or walking a straight line, for instance — faces a fine of 500,000 yen (about $4,600).

A driver involved in a fatal accident while under the influence of alcohol or intoxicated could be charged with highway manslaughter under the Criminal Code. The maximum penalty for drunken driving resulting in death is 15 years in prison. For drunken driving that led to injury, the maximum penalty is 10 years in prison.

Why take your career for granite?
There is no excuse for drinking and driving there are WAY TOO MANY taxis on Okinawa.
It really sucks when someone does something off base and the whole base is punished with a curfew.