Know More About Drunk Driving
Driving any type of vehicle under the influence of intoxicating agents like alcohol/drugs up to a level where the driver will have his/her mental and motor driving skills impaired is known as drunk driving. It has been declared illegal in all the state jurisdictions in the US. This criminal or illegal offense is known as DUI, i.e., Driving Under the Influence (of any intoxicating agent like alcohol or drugs). Some states refer to it as DWI- Driving While Intoxicated, OWI Operating While Intoxicated and OVI Operating a Vehicle under the Influence. These laws also apply to driving of not just land vehicle but also seacrafts and aircrafts.
The driver is found guilty based on some tests of his/her impairment and the amount of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). BAC is measured in milligrams of alcohol in one milliliters of blood and is also expressed in percentage. All the states in the United States Of America follow a BAC limit of 0.08%. Some of the states sometimes consider a lesser percentage of a BAC of around 0.05 %. All the states follow a law under which any driver below the age of 21 years who has committed a drunk driving offense is charged if alcohol is detected in his/her blood. A percentage of .01% or .02% is considered to be meaningful. However 0.04 % is the limit for aircraft pilots and commercial drivers. Some people confuse drinking and driving with drunk driving. However, these two are not similar. Drinking and driving refers to the a driver driving a vehicle after he/she has consumed alcohol, or driving the vehicle while consuming alcohol. There is no law that states that driving after consuming alcohol is illegal, until the driver is not able to drive safely, as defined by the law. However it is not advisable to drive after drinking. Drinking and driving is also not similar to either DWI, OWI or OVI. In some states, driving and simultaneously consuming alcohol is considered illegal even if the driver is not impaired. In some of the states even keeping an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger compartment is an illegal and punishable offense. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) drunk driving has resulted in the death of 17,013 people (which constitutes 40 percent of the total traffic deaths in the US). There have been various attempts undertaken by government and non government organizations to curb this evil. The penalties for drunk driving range from a fine for the first offense, a suspension of the license and a probation up to a period of three years. A person charged with a second offense is most likely to get a short jail sentence. |