3 Things You Should Know About Driving Under Influence
While driving might seem like a basic task that just about anyone can handle after a few days of training, there is much more to it than just taking up a driving course. As a driver, you require a great deal of discipline to keep yourself and your passengers safe while minding the safety of other road users. It also helps you avoid liabilities that could result if you bumped into someone’s property accidentally.
However, it is not uncommon to feel the urge to drive while intoxicated. Influence driving is not only a criminal offense in most states and countries, but it is also a huge danger to yourself and others. It sometimes comes with grave consequences that you can avoid by being disciplined and following the law. To sum it all up, here are three things you should know about driving under the influence.
1. The Effects of Drinking (and driving)
We are all familiar with the dangers of drinking and driving. So, here’s how it goes. You are at a friend’s house, and they persuade you to have a drink or two. The one drink transforms into two, three, and before you know it, you’ve consumed quite a lot. You are merry, your judgment is impaired, and you can’t wait to get home. You don’t want to take a taxi because your car is parked outside, and this isn’t your first time driving. Additionally, you live just a few blocks away. I mean, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, right? Perhaps not, but you get behind the wheel and on the road in a matter of minutes.
It’s no secret that alcohol and other substances impair judgment and make it difficult to react appropriately to circumstances. You’ll probably find it difficult to concentrate on the lane, so you’ll try to compensate by concentrating too much on one thing. Your reaction time can dramatically increase or decrease and you may end up behaving recklessly. This might sound like the most serious consequence of drinking and driving, but we are only getting started.
2. The Consequences
As you might already know, intoxicated driving comes with several consequences. Some of these consequences revolve around DUI Laws and could result in getting your license revoked, voiding your insurance policy, penalties, or facing jail time. It is perhaps why many drivers with a DUI record experience mammoth trouble renewing their auto insurance policy or finding a new one that works for them. This is not to forget that driving while drunk increases your risk of getting involved in an accident, which could leave you or others with serious injuries if not fatal. In detail, some common consequences of DUI include:
Accidents
When you’re trying to keep your eyes on the road and end up focusing on one thing rather than the other, your reaction time is unknown, and you’re more likely to drive recklessly. Since your judgment is impaired, you could think that you are extremely keen while on the road, but this may not be the case. Your chances of getting into a collision, hitting obstacles, or veering off the road are often heightened while drunk. There are literally no words to describe how dangerous drinking and driving can be. The only remedy is to avoid it or prevent it.
Stringent Penalties
Impaired driving is against the law. When caught driving intoxicated, penalties could range from hefty fines to even jail time and everything in between. A DUI record is also likely to skyrocket your current and future insurance premiums if it’s your first time. If you have several, very few insurance companies will be willing to listen to you.
The fines, on the other hand, will vary depending on the state in which the crime was committed. If you cause injury or death to someone while driving under the influence, you will be sentenced to a minimum of 14 years in prison. Even if the fines seem to be minor, they have long-term implications. Simply put, don’t drink and drive.
It Soils Your Reputation
Even if you pay the hefty fines and don’t end up in jail, a DUI can alter your life in many other ways. For instance, getting employed with a DUI can be a bit problematic for some people. This is especially in job positions that require you to have driving skills. Furthermore, a DUI can last for a long time, so contact a reputable Drunk driving attorney.
3. Understand the Legal DUI Particulars
Simply put, it is illegal to drive after consuming alcohol or under the influence of drugs. Drugs that have been prescribed to you can also affect you. In any case, if your judgment is impaired, you should not drive. Aside from these, you cannot drive if your blood alcohol content is more than 8mg per 100ml. Moreover, some medications are illegal if not prescribed by a doctor, so it’s difficult to say whether anyone abused them or was taking prescribed medicine. This is why these limits have been created.
Finally, it pays to understand the meaning of the term “in control of a vehicle” which was recently enacted into law. Rather than just driving under the influence, you are breaking the law by sitting or sleeping in your car while under the influence and the vehicle is not moving.