What Is Driving Under the Influence (DUI)?
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is when a person operates a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): “Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes… that’s one person every 50 minutes.” Due to the dangers and potential fatality it poses to both the driver and others on the road, it is considered a serious offense. DUI laws vary by jurisdiction but generally involve legal limits for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) or impairment by drugs.
While policies vary by state, penalties can include fines, license suspension or revocation, mandatory substance abuse education or treatment programs, and sometimes imprisonment. Repeat offenders often face more stringent punishments, with the goal of deterring individuals from driving while impaired. Some states have strict “zero tolerance” policies for underage drivers, while others may impose harsher penalties for high BAC levels or multiple offenses.
While critics argue that overly harsh penalties may disproportionately affect certain demographics or discourage individuals from seeking help, the benefits of stringent DUI enforcement include safer roadways and decreased instances of impaired driving-related accidents.
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Pennsylvania Family Awarded $2.9 Million in DUI-Hit-and-Run
The family of a 14-year-old Bensalem, Pennsylvania girl who was killed in a 2004 hit-and-run crash while she was trying to cross a road has been awarded $2.9 million by a Bucks County judge. The case was decided without a jury.
The 21-year-old driver that struck the girl was driving with a suspended license and was found to be intoxicated at the time of the crash. The police did not charge him with DUI-related hit-and-run saying that road condition and other factors, not his drunkenness, caused the crash. The driver, however, was sentenced to three to six years in a state prison for the accident, and is currently in jail.
The family of the deceased brought a civil trial against the driver and the owner of the vehicle the man was driving. According to PhillyBurbs.com, the judge awarded the plaintiffs $697,749.92 in wrongful death damages against both defendants; […]
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California Women Awarded $1.2 Million in DUI Civil Lawsuit
Two CA women receive settlement after being hit by drunk driver
Two women, who suffered permanent injuries after an automobile accident with an assistant district attorney in Los Angeles who was driving drunk, agreed to a $1.2 million settlement in a civil lawsuit against the woman. The two women had already been awarded more than $1 million in compensatory damages by a jury.
The assistant DA had a BAC of .26, more than three times the legal limit, and admitted that she knew she was drunk. She decided to drive anyway in hopes that she would get home without getting caught. In the April 2010 accident, she rear-ended the two women near Long Beach, CA resulting in one woman suffering back injuries, facial scars and lost teeth, and the other suffering from back injuries.
The women had sought $2 million, but agreed to the settlement to avoid a second trial and to get immediate payment. […]
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Seven Die on PA Roads Over Holiday
723 accidents on PA roads over holiday weekend result in 358 DUI arrests and 7 deaths
Alcohol Involved in Many Pennsylvania Accidents Over Holiday Weekend
According to the Pennsylvania State Police, seven people died on PA roads over the four-day July 4th weekend. State police report they investigated seven fatal car accidents, of which four of the accidents involved alcohol. In addition, there were 723 accidents, with 358 resulting in drunk-driving arrests. They also issued over 7,000 speeding tickets. These statistics include state police incidents only.
NC Accident Leaves One Sister Dead, One Seriously Injured
An 18-year-old is dead and her twin sister is seriously injured from a Friday evening, single-car crash on interstate 77 in Mooresville, North Carolina. The car was traveling northbound near mile marker 32 when the injured girl, who was driving, lost control of the car, […]
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Tragic Two-Car Accident Results in Loss of Unborn Child
Tragic Two-Car Accident in Florida Results in Death of Unborn Child
A Wednesday morning crash near Bradenton, Florida left a 19-year-old pregnant woman in critical condition and resulted in the death of her unborn child. The accident occurred around 10 a.m. when the car in which the woman was a passenger, was making a left-hand turn and was stuck by a Ford pickup heading northbound on 14th Street West. The car was stuck on the passenger side, then hit a pole before coming to rest. The passenger was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver of the car suffered serious injuries, and faces charges of violation of a right of way while making a left turn. The driver of the pickup was not injured.
Stray Dog Causes Kansas Accident
A dog running on I-70 in West Topeka, Kansas, contributed to a two-car crash on Thursday morning that sent one person to the hospital. […]
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Texas Wildfire Sparks Fatal Multi-Car Wreck
Low visibility due to wildfire leads to seven-car accident in Texas
Wildfire Causes Fatal Multi-Car Wreck
A wildfire in Midland, Texas that left motorists with zero visibility was the cause of a seven-car accident on Sunday that left a 5-year-old girl dead. The accident started when a motorist slowed on Interstate 20 due to poor visibility from the fire burning in the highway’s median. The pickup truck in which the girl was riding was pushed into the nearby pasture, where the fire had spread, when the truck became engulfed in flames killing the girl and injuring her brother and uncle.
Drunk Driver Kills Two in South Carolina
A Delaware man has been charged with two counts of felony DUI after he ran an SUV off the road and into a tree killing both occupants of the vehicle. The Sunday night accident that left a 70-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man dead occurred in Colleton County, […]
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