The Dangers and Consequences Of Drinking And Driving: Essay Example

DUI laws generally specify a range of possible jail time for various types of DUI convictions. In 2015, we surveyed readers in different parts of the country who had been arrested for DUI. Conviction rates and the severity of charges varied depending on how many prior DUI convictions drivers had. Policies that make alcohol less accessible, available, and affordable are effective for reducing drinking to impairment and can also help to prevent alcohol-impaired driving.

• Treatment strategies that combined punishment, education, and therapy with followup monitoring and aftercare were more effective than any single approach for first-time and repeat offenders (Wells-Parker et al. 1995).
• The bottom line in all of this is that education about drinking and driving is an important factor in prevention.
• Whether the offense is labeled “DUI,” “DWI” (driving while intoxicated), or “OUI” (operating under the influence), the consequences are generally severe.
• Aggravating factors can include vehicle collisions, injuries, and especially BACs.

Treatment for people with AUD who are convicted of alcohol-impaired driving is most effective when combined with other strategies (such as ignition interlocks) and when offenders are closely monitored. Treatment should not replace other strategies or remove alcohol-impaired driving sanctions from a person’s record. Assessment and treatment are critical to the success of driving while impaired (DWI) courts, which are specialized courts focused on changing the behavior of people who are convicted of alcohol-impaired driving. They include national and state data on alcohol-impaired driving and crash deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers, as well as an overview of proven strategies for reducing and preventing alcohol-impaired driving. In Ontario, the criteria for impaired driving or driving under the influence (DUI) is based around the « over 80 » rule.

DUI Consequences for Drivers Who Are Under 21 Years Old

Future research is needed to elucidate the role of salient individual (e.g., affordability, drinking behaviors) and neighborhood factors. To inform prevention efforts while triangulating existing evidence, further evaluation of trends in the prevalence of DUI of alcohol and identification of populations at heightened risk is critical. For instance, Schwartz and Beltz (2018) showed that men’s alcohol-impaired driving rates continue to consequences of drinking and driving remain higher than women’ despite an overall decreasing trend. Yet, DUI arrests have increased among women since 1985, narrowing the gender gap (Schwartz & Beltz, 2018; Schwartz & Rookey, 2008). In a study examining major racial/ethnic groups, Whites were more likely to be involved in alcohol-impaired driving than African-Americans and Hispanics–though people of color were overrepresented in arrests and crashes (Romano et al., 2010).

If drivers are impaired by any substance, including prescription or over-the-counter medications, they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. We know a lot about the harmful effects of alcohol-impaired driving but less about the burden of drug-impaired driving. Trends in number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities for different BACs, 1982 through 2002. Traffic deaths involving people with BACs up to 0.08 percent had the smallest proportional decline (19 percent) from 1982 through 2002.

DUI Probation

Some states offer a hardship license that allows you to drive to work or school during the time your license is revoked or suspended, but your driving privileges will still be drastically curtailed. Of those motorcycle riders, 1,624 (29%) were drunk (BAC of .08 g/dL or higher). Drivers with a BAC of .08 are approximately 4 times more likely to crash than drivers with a BAC of zero.

When alcohol is consumed, it passes from the stomach and intestines and is absorbed into the bloodstream. As it circulates in the bloodstream, alcohol distributes itself evenly throughout all the water in the body’s tissues and fluids. Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. If you’re drinking away from home, there are several steps you can take to ensure you’re drinking responsibly. Alcohol and aggression are closely linked, with alcohol intoxication being a factor in nearly half of all violent crimes.

Social consequences

Each state has its own definition of what constitutes unlawful impairment, but most require that the driver be noticeably affected by the substance or be unable to safely drive. The Guide to Community Preventative Services website includes resources about interventions to reduce alcohol-impaired driving. Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from impaired driving and underage drinking. Participants who successfully complete program requirements are rewarded with more lenient consequences than would otherwise be the case.

For example, a driver in Washington can be convicted of a per se DUI for operating a vehicle with a THC concentration (marijuana) of 5 nanograms or more per milliliter of blood. Many states have true “zero-tolerance” laws that prohibit drivers who are under 21 years old from driving or operating a vehicle with any measurable amount of alcohol in their body. But lots of other states aren’t as strict and set the BAC limit for underage drivers at .01%, .02%, or .03%. With DUI court, on the other hand, there’s a whole “DUI court team” that monitors the participant’s progress in substance abuse treatment. The team usually includes a judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, probation officer, law enforcement representative, and program coordinator. Substance abuse treatment providers are regularly in contact with the team members.

Required Substance Abuse Treatment for DUI Offenders

Oftentimes, the offender will have to participate in a substance abuse evaluation and complete any recommended treatment or programs. Other costs of a DUI conviction include things like insurance rate increases, attorney fees, and DUI classes. Increases in car insurance rates were standard—47% of our survey respondents reported boosted rates, typically for three years.