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.
More information about DUI
Car Accident Round-Up: Policeman Dies in PA Car Chase
Suspect of previous hit-and-run arrested for suspected vehicular homicide in car accident
Pennsylvania Car Chase Leads to Policeman’s Death
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, police stopped a 35-year-old man suspected of an earlier hit-and-run accident in Granville, WV early Saturday morning. The man refused to get out of his car, and drove off leading police on a car chase into Pennsylvania. A WV police sergeant had pulled his SUV off the road on I-79 near the one-mile marker in PA and was ready to assist in stopping the vehicle when the suspect crashed into the SUV. The policeman was taken to the nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of homicide by vehicle while police await toxicology test results. Police believe the man was driving drunk and taking prescription anti-anxiety drugs.
Three U.S. Marines Die in CA Car Accident, […]
Read MoreMore information about DUI
Four Men Die in Christmas Day Car Crash
Police suspect speeding during suboptimal conditions to be the cause of crash
Deadly Maine Accident Leaves Four Dead
A tragic Christmas Day car crash in Palermo, Maine, left four men dead – two brothers in one vehicle, and a man and his father-in-law in another. The Bangor Daily News reports the two brothers were traveling on Route 3 in an SUV that apparently lost control and skidded sideways into the path of the other car, which struck the SUV broadside. All four men died at the scene. Police are continuing to investigate, but believe the SUV was traveling too fast for conditions after a light snow dusted the roadway. The brothers were aged 18 and 21-years-old. The two men were 64 and 83-years-old.
Two Teens Die in Florida Accident
Two teenagers, both 18-years-old, died in a Sunday evening car crash in Bradenton, […]
More information about DUI
Car Accident Round-Up – Teenagers Die in Early Morning FL Accident
Car spins out of control, strikes light post and splits in two killing two teenagers in fatal accident
Two Teens Dead, One Critical After Miami Accident
The Miami-Herald reports a 2:30 a.m. Saturday accident in Miami, FL left two teenagers dead and another critically injured when the car in which they were traveling struck a light post on the highway causing the vehicle to split in half. The accident, on the Dolphin Expressway near Northwest 17th Avenue, occurred when the car swerved and crossed the inside lane and shoulder, spun and struck the concrete wall and a light post. The two pieces of the car blocked both the westbound and eastbound lanes of the highway. The 17-year-old driver and an 18-year-old passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. The second passenger, 18-years-old, was found seat belted into the rear section of the car. She was taken to Ryder Trauma Center. […]
More information about DUI
Car Accident Round-Up – One Dead, Five Injured in Multi-Vehicle Crash in FL
Out-of-control vehicle spins into oncoming lane colliding with two other vehicles in fatal accident
FL Accident Kills One, Leaves Five Critically Injured
A multi-vehicle crash over the weekend in Frostproof, Florida left one person dead and five others critically injured. The Miami Herald reports that a vehicle on U.S. 27 northbound ran off the roadway, overcorrected and spun around sending it into the southbound lanes where it collided with two other vehicles. The driver of the out-of-control vehicle died; her two passengers were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Three occupants of the other vehicles were listed in critical condition. Police were continuing to investigate the accident.
Heart Attack Kills Driver of Rock Band Bus in Iowa
According to the Ames Tribune, the driver of the charter bus for the rock band Widespread Panic apparently suffered a heart attack while driving the bus on Interstate 35 last week south of Ames, […]
More information about DUI
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; […]
Read More
