| Alcohol
and Driving
Everybody has probably heard the old slogan "Alcohol
and Driving Don’t Mix."
This statement is sadly and painfully true. To avoid
this hazard, you should never drive a vehicle or operate
a vessel after drinking alcohol. Drinking and
driving is dangerous because drinking or using drugs
can substantially impair your judgment and reactions.
It has been shown by studies of crashes that the higher
a driver's intoxication level, the more severe was their
crash.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) -- Traffic Safety Facts 2000:
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Alcohol was involved
in 40% of fatal crashes and in 8% of all crashes
in 2000. |
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The 16,653 fatalities
in alcohol-related crashes during 2000 represent
an average of one alcohol-related fatality every
32 minutes. |
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An estimated 310,000
persons were injured in crashes where police reported
that alcohol was present -- an average of one person
injured approximately every 2 minutes. |
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Approximately 1.5 million
drivers were arrested in 1999 for driving under
the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an
arrest rate of 1 for every 121 licensed drivers
in the United States (2000 data not yet available). |
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About 3 in every 10
Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related
crash at some time in their lives. |
The highest intoxication rates in fatal crashes in
2000 were recorded for drivers 21-24 years old (27%),
followed by ages 25-34 (24%) and 35-44 (22%).
Intoxication
rates for drivers in fatal crashes in 2000 were highest
for motorcycle operators. (27%)
Almost
33% of all pedestrians 16 years of age or older killed
in traffic crashes in 2000 were intoxicated.
In
California, out of 3,753 people killed in crashes in
2000 -- 1,401 (37 %) were drinking alcohol.
Not only driving a car while intoxicated is illegal
upon highways. It's also unlawful to ride a bicycle,
or a motorized scooter, under the influence of alcohol
and/or drugs. Any person arrested for a violation of
this section must submit to a chemical test of the person's
blood, breath, or urine for the purpose of determining
the alcoholic or drug content of that person's blood.
If convicted, a bicycle or motorized scooter rider may
be fined up to $250. The arresting officer has to give
such persons a 10 days' notice to appear in court.
Zero Tolerance Law
Drunk driving laws are more strict for drivers under
the age of 21. The law requires a person under the age
of 21 to take a Preliminary Alcohol Screening (PAS)
test if a peace officer believes the person has been
drinking. This test is administered at the scene using
a hand-held PAS device.
If a person under the age of 21 has BAC 0.01% or higher,
or the person refuses to take or fails to complete a
PAS, the DMV will suspend the person's driving privileges
for one year.
Persons between the ages of 18 and 21, if convicted
of a first violation of DUI, are required to complete
the educational component of the DUI program. Completion
of the entire DUI program is required in the event of
a second conviction. Further, the DMV may not reinstate
the driver's license until it receives proof of program
completion.
If there is no PAS device available, the person can
choose between a blood or breath test to determine the
BAC level. If his/her BAC is 0.05% or more, in
addition to license suspension, driver may be arrested
for driving under the influence.
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