DUI FACTS YOU MAY NOT EVEN KNOW
Driving under the influence —whether it be from alcohol or other drugs — is a problem that needs to be addressed more seriously. Aside from the legal repercussions that one may have to endure as a result of their own recklessness, they could also cause their own fatal and catastrophic injuries. Worse, wrongful death.
It’s also important to note that you are not the only one who may bear the brunt of the consequences of drunk driving. There are other people around you on the road, pedestrians and drivers alike, who may unknowingly have to suffer as a result of your inebriation, not to mention, the emotional toll their injuries or deaths may have on their loved ones.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 37 people die daily due to drunk driving. This further underscores the magnitude of the DUI issues that have plagued the country. Yet, a lot of people don’t really know much about facts pertaining to this issue.
This blog will highlight five facts that everyone should know about the problems pertaining to drunk driving. By the time you reach the conclusion of this blog, we hope that we have done our job of educating you on the severity of this issue.
Without further ado, here are five facts you should know about driving under the influence
1. Avoiding Breathalyzers Is A Crime In California
People have the impression that denying breathalyzers —or any form of tests measuring Blood Alcohol Content — will absolve them from a DUI conviction. This couldn’t be any further from the truth. As a matter of fact, it may actually make things worse for them.
In California, people are mandated to take a breathalyzer when asked. This is made possible because of the legal principle of “implied consent.” If you have a driver’s license, it’s implied in the eyes of the law that you consent to being tested. Refusal to do so may lead to their arrest and a subsequent warrant that will basically force them to submit to testing anyway.
2. DUI Convictions Are Not Just Reserved For Drinking and Driving
When you hear about someone getting convicted of a DUI, you may automatically assume that they’ve been drinking. While this is usually the case, “driving under the influence” could also mean being inebriated from different substances. For example, if you’re driving high on marijuana, there is still a possibility that you could get a DUI.
Finding someone guilty of driving under the influence of substances outside of alcohol, however, is difficult. So while it’s easier to get away with driving high on street drugs, they could still mar your depth perception and could cause a lot of driving anxiety, making you extremely vulnerable to fatal accidents.
3. People below 21 who are driving under the influence have stricter punishments in California
Usually people who are “not of age” face relaxed punishments when violating the law. This is not the case for drunk driving. As a matter of fact, the consequences for them if found guilty are a lot harsher. Their punishment is as follows:
- If their blood alcohol content exceeds 0.01%, they are considered to have driven drunk, a stark contrast to the 0.08% BAC threshold of those over 21 years old.
- They will get their license suspended for one year even if they’re first time DUI offenders. Meanwhile, those who are over 21 years old only face a four-month license suspension if found guilty of driving under the influence for the first time.
4. Over a million drunk drivers are charged of a DUI per year
A lot of people underestimate just how many DUI convictions are made per year. Taking a look at the figures reported by several governmental organizations, people are right to worry about their lives when they’re trekking these Los Angeles streets.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in particular, contends that over one million people have been arrested for driving under the influence. In addition to the egregious urban planning in Los Angeles, drunk drivers further endanger the lives of the people they’re surrounded by.
5. There are a lot more people who are drunk driving than reported
Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that the one million reported instances of drunk driving only comprise a minute portion of overall DUI incidents as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A lot of DUI violators drive under the radar, suggesting that perhaps there are a lot more dangers lurking on the road than previously thought.
This further affirms the need to remain hypervigilant when walking on the sidewalks and when you are behind the wheel.
Call Omega Law Group
You can exhaust every resource at your own disposal to avoid driving under the influence, but unfortunately a lot of people will not afford those around them the same grace. If you just so happen to be one of the unlucky people victimized by reckless drunk driving, you will need the help of a qualified drunk accident attorney to help you acquire the justice you need and deserve.
But you should not just get any drunk accident lawyer. You need the best. You need Omega Law Group.
The skillful legal experts of Omega are more than equipped to pursue justice on your behalf against DUI law violators. Leveraging their attorneys’ combined decades of experience in the field of personal injury, Omega Law Group is able to accrue millions in compensation for their clients.
On top of that, their integration of artificial intelligence in their case processes has caught the attention of prominent publications like the Los Angeles Business Journal, which has hailed them one of the “Most Admired Firms.” Their commitment to their clients has also landed them accolades from industry-vetted organizations like SuperLawyers.com as well as Best Lawyers.
Omega Law Group operates on a contingency fee basis, allowing them to deliver quality and equitable legal services to their clients regardless of their financial circumstances. Schedule a free consultation now to learn more!