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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Fatal Hit and Run Accidents on the Rise in Philadelphia
According to the Philadelphia Daily News, hit and run accidents in the city have reached almost epidemic levels in recent months.
Nonfatal hit and run incidents have increased by 30%, while fatal hit and runs have gone up 55% compared to this time last year.
The most recent fatal hit and run in Philadelphia took the life of 18-year-old Kevin Maldonado, who was struck by a woman driving a stolen white Toyota Prius. After hitting Maldonado, the woman abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.
Incidents like this one leave many people wondering how someone can run from the scene of an accident and leave a person to die. In 2014, Pennsylvania law was amended to ensure that the minimum legal penalty for fleeing the scene of an accident would be the same as the minimum sentence for DUI, […]
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Wrong Way Crashes Claim Lives
Since the beginning of this year, eight people have been killed in wrong way crashes in our area alone.
According to WNEP, that number surpasses the total number of wrong-way crash deaths throughout the entire state of PA in the year 2014.
The apparent spike in wrong-way crashes in recent months has law enforcement and PennDOT officials looking at what is causing these crashes and how they can be prevented. PennDOT workers checked the sections of Interstate 81 where the accidents occurred to determine where the wrong-way drivers could have entered the highway going the wrong direction. They found that there were warning signs in place and that the signs were in good condition. So, some officials have started looking to other solutions to stop these kinds of accidents and save lives.
When it comes to preventing a crash with a wrong-way driver, […]
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Is Uber cutting down on drunk driving?
In February of this year, Uber officially became available to the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area.
What is Uber? Born in San Francisco and common in large cities before making its NEPA debut, Uber is a mobile app/service that allows users to connect with professional independent contract drivers hired by the company to provide a ridesharing service, similar to a taxi service. Uber is currently available in 50 countries and 250 cities.
Uber has been in the news a lot lately, particularly for questions regarding its safety. This blog and infographic from the Michigan Auto Law Blog entitle “How Safe is Uber?” does an excellent job of breaking down the safety concerns and what Uber is doing to make its service safer for both riders and drivers.
One reason we’re interested in Uber is because of its potential to reduce the number of drunk driving accidents that happen each year. […]
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Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety Rank States in Annual Report
Pennsylvania still lacking in some driver safety laws
On January 22, the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety released their 12th annual “Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws” report. The report outlines the number of people killed and injured in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2013 (the latest data available), and what can be done to improve safety on our nation’s roads. Areas of focus include child passenger safety, teen drivers, impaired driving, distracted driving, seat belt and helmet laws. The report also provides a state-by-state breakdown of where safety laws are enforced, and issues “green” “yellow” and “red” ratings based on this. See how your state compares to the rest of the country when it comes to safety laws and traffic deaths. If you want clear, reader-friendly analysis or quick facts about car accidents where you live, click here to check it out. […]
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Personal injury lawyer provides safe driving tips for 40 million Americans hitting the road this Thanksgiving holiday
For many of us, Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season and a time to spend with family and friends. AAA Travel projects that 46.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving weekend, many to visit to family.
90% of those travelers, or 41.3 million people will travel by automobile. This is a 4.2% increase over last year, and the highest volume of holiday travelers since 2007. This is due in part to the lowest gas prices we’ve seen in years. According to AAA, the national price of gas has fallen below $3.00 per gallon for the first time since December 2010.
With this increase in traffic, we could also see an increase in accidents. According to an article in the Ohio Journal News, Thanksgiving is usually one of the deadliest holidays of the year. […]
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