Sunday, January 13, 2008

Drunk Driving and the Law

What is Drunk Driving and what are the consequences of being caught?

Actually, that is a pretty stupid question as most people knows exactly what drunk driving is, that is driving a vehicle while under the influence of liquor or alcohol. Various acronyms are used for it, including DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, DUII, DWAI, OUIL or OMVI. Pretty confusing, but the consequences of being caught is certainly not confusing, and definitely not funny. Getting caught driving while under the influence of alcohol differs from states to states, but can be range from mild to severe. They range from getting slapped with a fine, having to attend alcohol education programs, getting lectured by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Students Against Destructive Decisions or Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), RADD (Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drunk Driving, Recording Artists Against Drunk Driving, Rockers Against Drunk Driving, having to do community services, having to pay more for motor insurance, getting one's driving license suspended, or more severe, getting a criminal conviction or even getting jailed. Many states require drunk driving offenders to only drive with vehicles equipped with ignition interlocks. Ignition interlocks are devices which analyze a driver's breath for alcohol and disable the ignition if the driver has been drinking. Some states even confiscate the vehicles of drunk driving offenders.

What to do if you are arrested for drunk driving

Victims and families of victims suffer unnecessarily from accidents caused by drivers driving under the influence of alcohol, and is definitely not something that should be encouraged or condone. However, if you are foolish enough to drive while under the influence of alcohol and are caught, and you want to lessen the severity of the punishment or perhaps even get away with it, it is imperative that you get in touch with a lawyer immediately. If you happened to be in Colorado, check with Colorado DUI attorney, otherwise, refer to the directory of DUI laws and DUI lawyers by states.