Drunk Driving Effect

Superior Essays
Effects The way alcohol affects people is different for every individual because of reasons including: gender, weight, and how quickly the alcohol is consumed. The effect of alcohol also varies on separate occasions. The BAC of different people can also vary even when the same amount of alcohol is consumed (“Drinking and Driving”). When a person consumes any amount of alcohol, it affects their motor skills and/or judgment. If one is caught drinking and driving they may have to take a field sobriety test and if they fail the officer will ask for their permission to perform a blood alcohol content (BAC) test. If this test is failed the person is charged and arrested accordingly (“The Dangers of Drinking and Driving”). Short-term effects of …show more content…
After an officer pulls over a drunk driver, they may undergo a sobriety test. Sobriety tests include having to walk in a straight line, stand on one leg, or follow a light with your eyes (“Drinking and Driving”). If they fail, then they are given a breathalyzer test and/or blood test to determine level of intoxication (“Drinking and Driving”)(“The Dangers of Drinking and Driving”). For a drunk driver under 21. the zero tolerance law is applied. This law states that the legal BAC is 0.01% or 0.02% for those under 21. Depending on the state, a drunk driver may have licenses taken, be fined, or assigned community service. There are also many other reasons one should not drive under the influence of alcohol (“Drinking and Driving”). Operating a motor vehicle with a BAC over the legal limit is considered driving while intoxicated or DWI. Drinking and driving may also result in jail time and federally mandated alcohol treatment programs. Operating a motor vehicle with blood alcohol level under legal state limit is considered driving under the influence or DUI. DUI arrests and charges prosecute accordingly and first time offenders get license taken for one year and federally mandated for alcohol abuse program and probation. Repeat offenders or those who get in accidents are prosecuted to fullest law ability. Those who cause an accident in which an individual is killed are charged with vehicular manslaughter (“The Dangers …show more content…
States look for prevention measures that help stop citizens from driving after drinking and continue to enforce stricter DUI laws and penalties. The legal BAC to be considered DUI is 0.08%. A drunk driver can be arrested for BAC below .08% if the officer sees signs of impairment (“Drunk Driving Prevention”). According to my survey, most people know the the legal BAC as shown is the graph to the right (Lindley). Higher legal drinking ages, greater licensing restrictions on young drivers, and stricter enforcement of juvenile drunk driving laws has greatly achieved reduction of drunk driving (Scott). The legal drinking age is 21 and if under it is illegal to drive with any measurable amount of alcohol (“What Works: Strategies to Reduce or Prevent Drunk driving”). Most people know that the legal drinking age is 21 based on my survey (Lindley). Police also do sobriety checkpoints by briefly stopping vehicles to see if drivers are impaired and if they are they give them breath tests if they suspect intoxication. To reduce drunk driving, police take license if BAC is at or above the legal limit and the length of suspension is decided by the state. A minimum of 90 days are effective (“What Works: Strategies to Reduce or Prevent Drunk driving”). There are also forms of technology that reduce drunk driving. One form to technology is ignition interlocks that can measure the alcohol on the driver’s breath and

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