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’s new DUI law goes into effect
A new DUI law, Act 153, went into effect in Pennsylvania on December 23, 2018, introducing tougher penalties for repeat offenders.
What’s new about this law?
Under the new DUI law, individuals convicted of a third DUI with a BAC of .16 or higher, or those convicted of four (or more) DUI’s can be charged with a felony. Under the previous law, Pennsylvania was one of only a few states in which a third DUI was treated as a misdemeanor.
The new law also increases penalties for offenders who cause the death of another person while driving under the influence. Increased penalties include potential felony charges for repeat offenders, and an additional five years of prison time for someone who commits homicide by vehicle while driving without a license or with a suspended license.
Additionally, the law increases fines and jail time for driving under suspension for a prior DUI. […]
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Could Your Prescription Medicine Affect Your Driving?
Prescription Drugs and Driving Can Be a Fatal Mix
You know that alcohol and illegal drugs can impair driving ability and cause dangerous accidents. But what about your prescription medication? Many people don’t realize that even medicine that is prescribed by a doctor and taken as directed can affect your driving.
It is an issue that concerns our car accident lawyers, as well as many lawmakers. The penalty for driving under the influence of medication carries the same penalty as a DUI in certain states. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reported that drugs were present in 43% of fatally injured drivers in 2017, more frequently than alcohol was present. This applies to some legal prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as illegal drugs.
Drugged driving is more complex than driving under the influence of alcohol for several reasons. […]
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Pennsylvania’s New DUI Law Goes Into Effect
What is the new DUI law in PA?
What is the new DUI law in PA?A new DUI law goes into effect in Pennsylvania this week, placing different restrictions on first-time DUI drivers.
Under the new law, first-time offenders will have to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicles. Previously, ignition interlocks were only required after two or more offenses; first-time offenders would instead face a license suspension of one year.
What is an ignition interlock device?
An ignition interlock device is essentially a breathalizer that will prevent a car’s engine from starting until the driver blows into a tube to indicate that they are not under the influence. If the device detects alcohol, the vehicle will not start.
Those in favor of the new law say that the ignition interlock will be more effective in preventing drunk driving accidents and deaths, […]
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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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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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