Drunk Driving Laws in America

Drunk Driving Laws in AmericaAlcohol is a major cause of severe road accidents.

Punishment differs from state to state, but in all states the first or second arrest still considers a crime to be easy (misdemeanor) and is usually punished with a fine or imprisonment of up to 10 days, the third and subsequent ones are considered serious (felony) and can lead to imprisonment for several months or even years, often with the confiscation of a car and the subsequent ban on registration, as well as long-term deprivation of rights.

The list of punishments is quite diverse, it can be (in different combinations): a fine, compulsory attendance, deprivation of rights, a ban on driving with any alcohol content (both for a term and for life), compulsory installation of an alcock, imprisonment (can be replaced for house arrest or community service). The punishment increases markedly if there are minor children in the car, the concentration of alcohol is much higher than the norm, or there are victims.

Under the category of drunk get drivers in the blood which is the percentage of alcohol in the framework of the state permitted by law. In the case of the state of Illinois, this acceptable percentage of alcohol is indicated on the information board at the state border crossing.

The easiest way to find out how drunk you are and if you can get behind the wheel is to try to go on a straight line. If you can go through the line without hesitation and staggering, then most likely everything will be fine. If you have not passed this self-test, it is highly recommended to leave the car in the parking lot and call a taxi. The same method is often used by police to test for intoxication – they ask the driver to get out of the car and go through the line.

The second point: the police have no right to stop your car without having a clear reason. Therefore, when Americans go out of the pub in a fun way, they go quietly in the far right lane, not exceeding the speed and not attracting attention.

It should be understood that the punishment for driving drunk is very, very harsh. The softest thing they can do is grab the rights for the next few years, which in itself is very sad in the states. In the worst case, you may be jailed for several years. If you were driving a car in a drunken state and got into an accident in which a person was injured or, God forbid, died, then you will be tried for murder and put on prison for 10-20 years guaranteed.  Lawyers will not save you.

There is still an interesting law about the transport of alcohol – the transportation of an open bottle with alcohol in the cabin of a car is automatically equal to drunk driving, with all the ensuing consequences. In commercial vehicles, it is forbidden to transport alcohol in the car in the open or closed.

Picture Credit: epicantus