The Effects Of Drinking And Driving Under The Legal Age Of 21

Published on: 06 April 2018 Last Updated on: 21 August 2021
Drinking And Driving

Consequences Of A DUI:

Consequences Of A DUI

Drunk driving is still a widespread problem in the United States, especially among young people.  Individuals 21-34 years old are currently responsible for more drunk driving fatal accidents compared to all other age groups.  These young adults are involved in more drunk driving fatal accidents compared to all other demographics, where 8 out of every 100,000 individual deaths are caused by a drunk driver.  There are numerous organizations these days that are trying to bring awareness to this problem, like Fathers Against Drunk Driving (FADD) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).  Despite the serious consequences of drinking and driving under 21 years old, many young Americans continue putting others and themselves at risk when they drive after drinking.

Those frightening statistics remind us to exercise extreme caution at all times while out on the road and to be on the lookout for signs of intoxicated drivers.  If you notice a driver driving at unsafe speeds, making any erratic movements, or swerving, then you should keep your distance, and as soon as you can call 911.  You could save someone’s life by doing so!

What is DUI?

What is DUI

 A DUI is Driving Under the Influence. It has been shown in studies that a majority of individuals will drive 87 times while drunk before they are first arrested for a DUI.  The penalty laws do vary from one state to the next, however, when a driver has a higher than 0.08 Blood Alcohol Content, they are considered to be over the legal limit for alcohol.  A zero-tolerance policy is in place for minors, which means a DUI will be charged with a BAC over 0.01. In such situations chances of getting arrested become high. Furthermore, to prevent the bail bonds in Pasadena tx serves the best way to get out of jail A majority of DUI arrests show drivers having an average 0.16 BAC.  In the state of California, the following can result from a first-time offense:

  • More expensive auto insurance premiums
  • DUI school
  • Probation of 3 to 5 years
  • Suspended License for a maximum of 6 months
  • Fines up to $1,300

A second-time offender may receive a 2-year suspension of their driver’s license. Individuals with 2 DUI offense or more will be frequently mandated by the court to AA meetings, alcohol, and drug treatment, or a jail sentence.  However, 50-75 percent of individuals with a DUI continue driving even though their license has been suspended.

Dangers Caused By Drunk Driving in the U.S.

Dangers Caused By Drunk Driving in the U.S.

According to Gwinnett county dui laws, anyone caught while driving under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicant can face serious charges. This can amount to jail time in a juvenile prison or an adult jail if you are above 18 years of age. It also means that you will have to carry a DUI record on your name for the rest of your life. This can severely restrict your chances in areas like college admissions and job applications. Working with a good and experienced DUI attorney is the best possible option for teenagers and young adults that are caught in such charges.

Approximately 16,000 individuals die every year in the U.S. in an accident related to drunk driving.  One out of 3 Americans are involved at some point in their lives with an alcohol-related crash.  Alcohol impairs brain function and many people don’t realize that they are too drunk to be able to drive before they get behind the wheel.  While they are drunk, delayed response time is experienced by a drunk driver and they are not as likely to obey traffic signals.  Just one drink can potentially impair driving skills.  Over the Thanksgiving holiday is when the drunkest driving fatalities take place.

How is your ability to drive affected by alcohol?

Alcohol is a kind of depressant drug. When it is consumed it slows down the central nervous system of a person and reduces mental inhibitions as well, which affects the person’s situational awareness and brain function.  The impairment can cause the individual to take risks that are unnecessary when driving out on the road and increase the risk of being involved in an accident substantially.

Alcohol has the following effects that impair the ability of a person to drive:

  • Difficulty multitasking
  • Overconfidence
  • Reduced sensory perception
  • Drowsiness
  • Reduced reaction times
  • Impaired vision

Many teenagers have a tendency to binge drink alcohol and then drive while drunk.  Frequently teenagers give in to peer pressure or are unable to control how much they drink. Alcohol can cause teens to feel overconfident, just like adults, and they will end up driving when they are told they have drunk too much.  The leading cause of death among teenagers is car crashes and one out of three of these crashes have alcohol involved.  Over 3,000 teenagers die from an alcohol-related auto accident every year.  Organizations such as FADD and MADD are working hard to help bring more public awareness to the consequences caused by drunk driving.

Read Also:

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Passenger Rights

Along for the Ride: Passenger Rights in Vehicle Accidents

Although we are aware of the risks, driving is just a routine activity many of us do automatically, like brushing our teeth or grabbing a cup of coffee. We climb in the car intent on the destination or lost in thought, which is why automobile accidents are so jarring. Even a mild fender bender seems to stop everything in its tracks, instantly negating the importance of everything we were thinking or saying. Whether the situation results in serious injuries or none at all, it demands immediate attention. Passersby jockey to catch a glimpse of something interesting; police officers fill out reports; tow trucks haul away damaged cars. Sometimes, there aren’t even minor injuries, but, obviously, not everyone is so lucky. Trusting ourselves is one thing. Trusting someone else is entirely different. Every time someone gets into a passenger seat or the back seat, they're trusting that the driver will get to the destination safely. Some passengers are happy not to have the responsibility of driving; others have a hard time giving up control. Regardless of your feelings, where does that leave you if you're injured in a vehicle accident? The accident certainly wasn't your fault, so what exactly are your rights as a passenger? Recovering for injuries suffered as a passenger in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident is really a claim against an insurance company rather than against the driver himself. Passengers can file a claim under the bodily injury or liability insurance coverage of the driver or owner of any vehicle responsible for causing the accident. If that is insufficient, there may be coverage available under uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist policies. Injured passengers are also allowed to file a claim under their own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and/or Medical ­Payments (Med Pay) policies. With all these funding possibilities, passengers should be able to secure compensation for their damages, though in no instance are they allowed to collect any more than the total value of their claim. Many passengers are initially reluctant to seek compensation for damages because the driver is a close friend. It’s important to note that in most situations, the driver will not even know of the claim because it will be settled by lawyers and insurance companies before it gets to trial. The strain on any personal relationships should be minimal unless the insurance company does not act in good faith to resolve the claim and it must be litigated instead. Even at that time and although the driver will be named in the lawsuit, the true conflict is between the driver’s insurance company and the passenger. There are special rules that apply when the passenger is related to the driver and shares the same household. In most of these cases, the passenger is barred from collecting under the driver’s liability policy because he or she is an “insured person” and such persons are not permitted to file a liability claim against their own liability policy. A claim can still be brought against other drivers who are at fault for the accident. Read also: TIPS TO KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE IN A CAR The seat next to the driver has a reputation for being the most dangerous one in the car, even having been referred to as “the death seat.” Of course, it is more common to have one passenger than several, so the front seat is occupied more frequently than the rear seats. There is also some truth to the idea that in a crash a front seat passenger has nothing to stop him or her from being ejected through the window, whereas the driver has the steering wheel. Or, at least, that used to be the prevailing line of thought. The last few decades have brought about major advances in safety that have reduced the probability of being seriously injured while riding in the front seat. Seat belts, airbags, and crumple zones equally benefit drivers and front-seat riders. According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, adults over age 55 were more likely to die in a crash while seated in the back than in the front – even if they were wearing seat belts. The study found that adults in the rear were more likely than adults in the front to sustain chest injuries, and there was some evidence of an elevated risk of head and neck injuries for restrained women seated in the rear compared with the front. The IIHS also recently performed front-overlap crash tests of seven small SUVs and found that certain models may have a big gap in safety between drivers and their passengers. The seven models received good ratings after the front driver's side corner of the vehicle hit a barrier at 40 miles per hour, but only one model – the 2016 Hyundai Tucson -- rated as good when the same test was performed on the front passenger side. While three models received acceptable ratings and two models received marginal ratings, the 2015 Toyota RAV4 was rated as poor. The IIHS suspected that the difference was partly due to a greater emphasis on the vehicle frame and structure for the driver's side, but there is no excuse for inferior passenger protection. Read also: How To Shop For A Car With Your Teen Driver? If you were a passenger in a vehicle involved in a collision and were seriously injured as a result, or if you lost someone you love in such an accident, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer who can examine the circumstances of your case and advise you of your rights. Personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay them unless there is a settlement or verdict in your favor. Passengers with serious injuries are entitled to appropriate and thorough medical care for their physical, emotional, and psychological injuries suffered as a result of the accident, as well as full compensation for their pain and suffering, mental anguish, property damage, and lost wages. It is also critical that you at least consult with an attorney before speaking with an insurance company investigator or adjuster. Their job is to spend as little money as possible while quickly settling a large number of claims, and they are well-trained in the fine art of getting you to make statements that can come back to haunt you later. Since you are bound by what you say, it is often wise to let an attorney speak for you.

READ MOREDetails
Personal Lawyer

How to Choose A Personal Injury Lawyer

Accidents happen and are unavoidable at times. You may have been in a crash, and you got injuries, but you are not sure if you can win the case especially if somebody else was to blame. How do you identify the right personal injury lawyer for you? Research: Finding the right lawyer for your case is a process that needs to be done. Before anything else, have a list of the personal injury lawyers near your locality that can help with your case. Getting a lawyer such as SK Law Shrewsbury who specifically deals with personal injury law is a better shot at winning the case. After identifying some of the firms offering such cases, research them. Have a look at their website and look at reviews from clients. Such a move is to help you narrow down your list. Call and Schedule a Consultation Visit: After getting your list in order, and identifying some trusted law firms, make calls. The call should be for scheduling consultation services. Ask about the quotes and see if it is a budget you can manage. Also, ask if the consultation is free or charged so that you can decide whether to go or not. Some of the leading personal injury firms like the Gieger Law Group are more than happy to help and offer free consultations. During the consultation, they discuss various aspects of the case and point out some of the strategies which they feel would be best for you. This helps shed light on the way forward and allows the individuals to get an idea about what can happen. This is another elimination step off your list. Visit firms that are in your price range. Make an appointment with a particular firm for further consultation. Make inquiries about their services and how they intend to handle your case. Talk to a specific attorney so that you can get their point of view. Handling Consultations: Before attending any consultation, ensure that you have all the necessary documents such as accident reports.  This will give you the chance to present any information the personal injury lawyer may need. You can look up some questions online you can ask the lawyer for clarification. Also, ask for a detailed quote. Some lawyers have an hourly fee while others have a flat one. An accident can affect your finances which makes you late for payments. This, in turn, hurts your credit score and makes it difficult to seek out a loan. If your budget is tight, ensure you get an affordable attorney who will not make you end up with an even worse score. However, you can check out creditrepaircompanies.com to learn ways of rebuilding your credit if needed. Get a Referral: Before settling on the attorney, get a referral from friends or relatives. This could be a good idea for finding the perfect fit for your case. Don’t make up your mind about hiring a particular lawyer until you have had a talk with them and see if you can be a good match. The lawyer’s personality may be different from yours, and you may not be able to communicate well enough.  Another way is by asking other lawyers you may know. Referrals work best as they are an assurance of better services rather than somebody you pick randomly. Experience: You need somebody who you are confident will deliver and has a higher chance of winning. Settle on a lawyer who knows what they are doing. During the consultation, ask them how long they have been practicing personal injury. How many cases have they tackled? Of these, how many have they won? Ask for some client feedback on their previous cases. Find a lawyer who has the necessary expertise to handle your situation. Once you settled on a lawyer, make the necessary call so that you can discuss how they will handle your case. It is essential that you be on the same page as you have a better shot at winning. Identify somebody who is good at communication so that they can analyze all the possible solutions. Read Also : Divorce Lawyers In Houston Texas: A Short Guide On Saving Your Marriage Protect Your Rights Today With Domestic Violence Lawyers Choosing & Relying Upon The Best Personal Injury Lawyers

READ MOREDetails
What Kind Of Lawsuit Will do You Require

How Much Damage Can A Rear-End Collision Cause?

Why are we suddenly talking about rear-end collisions when it is just tiny damage in the car? This is because there have been cases of people falling into jeopardy in their automobiles because of a rear-end collision that was caused before. There are more than 1.7 million rear-end collisions on the US driveway each year itself. This is a serious case that will need much more consideration. So, if you operate a vehicle, it is better to understand what are the damages which can occur in your automobile due to toa rear-end collision. But, before we understand the damages and the lawsuits which you can avail, it is better to understand the meaning of the term before. Some of these accidents might also call for a lawsuit, like the Las Vegas truck accident injury lawsuits. What Is A Rear-End Collision Now, let's say you are a brand new owner of an automobile, and you wish to gather information about all the accidents which you have to look out for. How will you know what a rear-end is and the things to do if you ever encounter an accident as such? Well, a rear-end collision is when another vehicle crashes into the rear end of your car, or you crash into the rear end of another car. Now, both of these accidents have different scenarios. One could be because someone else was negligent, in terms of which you have every right to file a personal injury lawsuit. If it is the other one, then you might have to pay some compensation. However, at the end of the day, both vehicles are enduring some damage. What Kind Of Lawsuit Will do You Require? When it comes to rear-end collision damage, the vehicle of the rear end is someone mostly blamed. However, sometimes a case is not that black and white. At times it could be the fault of the car in front. This is why you need enough evidence and investigation to conduct this case. Now, as someone who might not be well versed with the order of events and what you should do next, you will need to take help from a lawyer. For a case like this, if you are absolutely confident about your innocence and you have endured automobile and physical harm due to the accident, you can file for a personal injury case. This will not only help you get compensation for the accident and even convince your insurance company to pay for the damages. How Much Damage Are We Talking About? Now, let us understand what is a rear-end collision and the legal help one can claim for. Let us understand the different rear-end damages which you can avail from. It is important to note that all these issues could cause 1. Damage To The Engine If you have just faced a rear-end collision and you find your check engine lights on while reading this excerpt, you shouldn’t wait and take your car to the mechanic right away. This is because today's automobiles are very complex and built with all the features in line. Thus, they do not have a rustic build, and with a small rear-end collision, there could be a possibility of serious damage. The force can easily move the exhaust system or even cause damage to the drive train. Resulting in severe damage to the catalytic converter, muffler, exhaust manifold, engine mounts, and even the “Y” pipe that runs to your engine. 2. Alignment Problem An alignment problem is probably the most common form of damage in any vehicle when there is an internal trauma caused by the rear-end collision of the car. This is one of the reasons why you will need to immediately get your entire vehicle checked and not just leave it to fix the dents. These are some of the signs which mean that you have an alignment issue. - Squeaking tires. - Noisy Steering. - Crooked steering wheels. - Unable to keep the car on track when driving. Alignment is not a small thing, and when damaged, it can cause a lot of issues when you are driving and even internally. 3. Damage In Suspension Many had reported frame damage when their automobile went through rear-end damage. This is especially problematic as it can cause problems in the suspension. It is through the stress resulting because of the rear end damage that your suspension might wear out soon. We are talking about the shocks and struts where the damage can occur. This is more of a long time of damage since you will start having difficulties taking smoother rides with the suspension damaged. It can also put your safety at stake, with the value of your car worsening. 4. Electrical Problem Electrical parts might also start facing an issue because of the rear-end damage. It is no surprise that we have more technically advanced automobiles now, and not everything is mechanical. A small external shock and you can have your tail lights loosened or damaged in your batteries and brake lights. The damage to the rear end is a pretty big shock. So, if you have endured one, go to a technician who specializes in the electrical components and get your car checked. 5. Trunk Damage Although, trunk damage is not something that will have a direct relation to driving issues. But, there are things that can cause safety hazards later. For example, if the truck is loosened and is not locking properly, you can imagine the damage it will cause to the car and the belongings inside. If it suddenly opens without warning while you are driving at a speed. Do Not Take It Lightly! When it comes to your rear-end damage, it is the huge dent that you are seeing. We can understand why your mind is so occupied with the external damage that you do not think about the internal one. However, whenever there is rear-end damage, immediately take your car to a mechanic and get it thoroughly checked. Plus, call for a personal injury lawyer if you think someone else should be responsible for paying the compensation. Read Also: 5 Types of Damages You Can Claim After a Car Accident There Is A Pothole Problem In America – How To Protect Your Car From Damage? 7 Things to Do After a Car Accident in Fort Worth For Your Protection and Safety

READ MOREDetails