Drinking and Driving Essay

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This article is also in Spanish. Click here for the Spanish version.

Millions of people worldwide do it. Many say â€œWhat’s the harm, I got home safely and no one was hurt?â€ Just because you made it home safely to your bed does not mean that you’re making a right decision. When putting those keys in the ignition and driving away after drinking you are not only putting your life at risk but you are risking the lives of all those you come across while driving.

Poor Decision Making

Alcohol affects you in a way that changes your judgement, depth perception as well as vital motor skills required to drive safely. Its easy to think you are driving normally when truly you are not. When the police take notice you could be hit with a DUI/DWI. This is the best case scenario. Getting into an accident your life could be lost as well as any others who too are involved in this accident. According to 2009 drunk driving statistics there were 10,839 traffic fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. This is those whose lives were lost not the total number of alcohol related accidents, or the number of individuals arrested for drinking and driving.

Is drinking and driving more important than your legal status or life? Take a cab, protect yourself as well as others on the roadways, donâ€™t become another drinking and driving statistic. Â Operating a motor vehicle while sober can be difficult in itself, adding alcohol or other intoxicants into the mix is putting your life and the lives of others on the roadways at risk. Make the right choice and put your keys down.

The Legal Repercussions of Drink and Driving, DUI/DWI

The sound of a siren, the red flashing lights and a person in uniform knocking at your driver side window. Â An officer has pulled you over for suspicious driving. If the officer smells a strong odor of alcohol, you exhibit slurred speech or general incoherence you will be asked to exit your vehicle and move to the side of the road where you will undergo field sobriety testing. If you fail to demonstrate the proper motor skills or judgment to safely operate a motor vehicle during these field tests, the officer can then ask permission to perform a blood alcohol content test, commonly abbreviated BAC. In most states the legal limit for BAC Â is .10%, however many states have adopted a lower BAC of .08%. Failing these tests will result in a ride in the back of a police car, Â a night in jail and charges of a DUI or DWI. You are now facing the legal repercussions of drinking and driving.

All 50 states have taken serious action when it comes to individuals that DUI, driving under the influence, or DWI, driving while intoxicated. There is zero tolerance, all violators will be arrested and charged accordingly.

DUI

A DUI, driving under the influence, is the act of operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level, BAC, over the legal state limit. If you are arrested and charged for a DUI the state will prosecute you accordingly. First offense typically resulting in loss of license for 1 year, as well as, federally mandated outpatient alcohol abuse program and probation. Those who have had multiple DUIâ€™s will most likely be prosecuted to the fullest ability of the law, which varies with each individual state jurisdiction. Regardless to if this is your first offense or second if in an accident while DUI you will be fully prosecuted, if an individual is killed as a result you will too be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

DWI

A DWI, driving while intoxicated, is too the act of operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level, BAC, that is over the legal state limit. If a law officer suspects you of DWI you will undergo a field sobriety test, breathalyzer test and/or blood test to determine intoxication level. The legal repercussions of a

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