Drunk Driving and Its Destructive Effects

Posted by Chell in Car Accidents, Drunk Driving, Personal Injury

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the various causes of car accidents in the US, which number to more than five million and claim at least 40,000 lives every year – these include factors that fall outside the driver’s control, like defective car parts and road defects, and factors that drivers are totally responsible for, such as driver error (including distracted driving), reckless driving, speeding and drunk driving.

Sadly, though safe driving techniques may reduce the risk of being involved in an accident-causing injury, a defective car part, a lack of road signs or the carelessness of another driver, will not. This injustice is something that needs to be addressed.

Thousands of car accidents can definitely be avoided, if only drivers will be more observant of traffic rules and be more considerate on the road. Many drivers, however, are unmindful of others’ presence on the road with them. One classic example of this is drunk driving, which actually registers the highest number of accidents; this is despite the constant and continuous reminder not to drink and drive. To discourage individuals from drinking and then driving right after, the US government has issued a federal law that lowers the blood alcohol content (BAC) in drivers to 0.08% (which is about 4 – 5 bottles of beer consumed within an hour). Surprisingly too, a research conducted has found out that the highest number of drunk driving cases involved people between 16 and 24 years old.

Regardless of your age or your body’s tolerance to alcohol, liquor will lessen your capacity to react fast to impending road activities and dangers. This decrease is what makes other motorists and pedestrians quite unsafe on the road with you. Your decision not to care for others’ safety, however, will lead to higher fines and severe punishments, like a longer jail term. This is besides the fact that a mere conviction in a DUI case can ruin your reputation, your professional life and your future, in general.

This is why it’s important for anyone accused of a DWI to find a lawyer who will help them fight the charges against them. When you are found guilty of a DUI charge, an expunction might be the best option. The penalties for a DWI conviction are harsh and can have far-reaching impact on the rest of a person’s life. Therefore, if you’re facing an alcohol-related charge, you will absolutely want someone who is qualified to represent you in court so that you can do everything in your power to avoid the thousands of dollars in fines and months in prison that such a conviction would cause.