Driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated is one of the most dangerous and deadly crimes committed not only throughout the United States but also throughout the world today. It entails driving drunk or under the influence of any type of prescription or illegal drug. Being intoxicated while driving is when the driver is mentally impaired and their motor skills are impaired to the point where reflexes and reaction time are no longer effective to make smart, life saving, decisions at the drop of a dime.
Driving under the influence comes with strict fines and penalties. Those fines include thousands of dollars paid to the state, country or township, the loss of the driver’s license and all driving privileges and even imprisonment that could last for life. Driving under the influence includes alcohol, drugs and even sleep deprived driving. All of these impair the senses, especially depth perception and judgment of a driver. One popular slogan to prevent drunk driving or driving while intoxicated in the United States is “Over the limit; under arrest.” The blood alcohol content limit is 0.08. If an accident occurs and a driver is suspected of being under the influence the police officers that responded to that accident can issue a breathalyzer test which will determine the blood alcohol content of the driver.
There are many ways that the United States government uses to prevent drunk driving. They are Public Service Announcements on television and radio, educational courses, roadway signs outlining the laws and the fines and roadway checkpoints. Police departments set up checkpoints throughout their jurisdiction to randomly check drivers for drunk driving. These checkpoints are unannounced and placed in heavily traveled areas; usually near a bar, restaurant or liquor store. The 0.08 BAC is uniform for all 50 states in the United States but each state’s laws regarding how to deal with offenders are different from each other.
Most drunk drivers that cause an accident that leads to death are usually charged with vehicular manslaughter or other related charges. This can lead to a lengthy prison sentence that might be for the remainder of their life. Their license can be suspended for a certain amount of time if the accident was not deadly or if it was a traffic stop or can be revoked for life if the situation is serious.
In the United States alone, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that over 18,000 people die from alcohol related accidents a year and over 500,000 people are injured from these same incidents per year. The 18,000 deaths accounts for 41 percent of the roadway deaths in the United States each year.
Drunk driving or driving while intoxicated is a serious crime that can lead to serious injury or even death of the driver, passengers, pedestrians or other motorists and their passengers. Driving under the influence is a major problem on the roads today and more and more drivers are becoming increasingly concerned with drunk driving and finding ways to prevent it altogether.
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