DUI Assistance, Drunk Driving Statistics And Legal Information

Posted by The Popular News Today on Sunday, November 4, 2012

By Rebecca J. Lassiter


There are a ton of drunk driving statistics and info that very clearly point out the dangers, both physical and legal. Even so, four million people drink too much and get behind the wheel 112 million times every year. This results in almost 11,000 deaths per year, which is one-third of all motor vehicle accident fatalities in the U. S.

This may sound bad, but the DUI numbers have actually dropped 30 percent in the second half of the past decade. This is likely the result of tougher zero percent tolerance state laws. The zero percent here refers to the blood alcohol concentration or BAC level.

Breathalyzers are as common as toasters now. But people still don't grasp the impact of each drink. To start with, a . 02 percent BAC level impairs judgment and makes it harder to follow fast moving vehicles. It also reduces the ability to multi-task, which means dividing attention among the various aspects of driving a vehicle. All of this is for a marginally unacceptable BAC level.

At 0.05, steering becomes difficult and response to emergency situations is limited. At 0.08, the driver has no control over speed and lacks the ability to detect traffic signals. At 0.10 percent, the driver is no longer able to hit the brakes or stay in the same lane. At 0.15, people start throwing up and lose sight of the fact that they are behind a wheel.

It is far easier to avoid getting into a vehicle after drinking. But then, the stats show that four million people do it anyway. This means any male aged 21-35 has a very good chance of being stopped for a DUI check, and many are going to fail a sobriety test or breathalyzer. For these drivers, the only way out of the pickle they are in is to accept a plea deal or contest the DUI charge on a technicality.

The most common loophole is probable cause. The law enforcement officer needs to have probable cause "before" stopping the vehicle. It's not very hard to prove in court that there was no cause, and this leads to the DUI and other associated charges being thrown out in traffic court.

It can be shown that law enforcement erred with an improper search of the vehicle, the breathalyzer was faulty, or the suspect was not informed about his or her rights. That said, it's still a good idea not to tempt fate given the drunk driving statistics and info. One person somewhere in the U. S. Dies every 48 minutes because of an alcohol-linked crash. Those who survive have to pay big-time, with the medical and property damage costs piling up to a stunning $51 billion.




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