Consuming alcohol can be a fun, social activity to be shared with friends and family. It is never a good idea to over consume alcohol, which may hinder your decision making process, and effect you negatively from a medical standpoint. But the worst thing you can do when drinking, is operating a motor vehicle. Some people may think, “Well it’s no big deal, I drove home and I made it back safely in my bed, no harm done!” Wrong. Consider yourself lucky, at best. Driving with a BAC of 0.02% (About 2 alcoholic drinks) can cause even a slight loss of judgement, so operating a vehicle may allow the driver to make a decision that is usually uncommon for them.
Enough talk about the driver, because the focus on drinking and driving should not be about the driver, it should be focused on everyone else around them. When a drunk driver gets behind the wheel, the ultimate cost could not be the driver’s life, but the innocent ones around him. There is a 11 times greater chance of being involved in a single vehicle crash when a driver BAC is between 0.05% and 0.09%. If there is anyone else in the car while driving intoxicated, the driver now holds responsibility of the lives of those in the car, not just their own. Also, for the other cars on the road, the danger is imminent. In 2015, 10,265 people died in alcohol impaired driving crashes, which relates to 29% of all traffic related deaths in the US.
Now how about legally? You may recall a blog post from earlier this year regarding the consequences of driving drunk. As is common knowledge, if you are pulled over while intoxicated you are absolutely subject to fines, court-ordered treatment, jail time, job loss, and license suspension. The difference between a DUI and a DWI, is first, the meaning behind each acronym. A DUI is driving under the influence, and DWI is driving while intoxicated/impaired. A DWI can result in much worse offences, since usually driving while intoxicated means that they were over the legal limit, and being under the influence means they had consumed alcohol. In some states, a DWI can also pertain to drugs, so driving while intoxicated could mean being intoxicated with drugs, alcohol, or other substances.
At the Law Offices of Nick Del Pizzo we do not condone drinking and driving, but we do believe everyone should have a chance to defend themselves in the court of law. If you have found yourself in trouble with the law with a DUI or DWI, contact our offices for a free consultation, today!