Drunk Driving

Driving a motorized vehicle while impaired by alcohol is known as drunk driving. Due to the dangers associated with drunk driving there are many laws designed to discourage drinking and driving. In the US, it is estimated that drunken driving crashes cause an estimated 45 billion in damages. Drunken driving also known as DUI (driving under the influence) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) can have serious implications for anyone that is convicted.

The history of drunk driving goes way past motorized vehicles. In 445 Attila the Hun was known as a heavy drinker and was rarely seen not on a horse. He died on his wedding night from alcohol poisoning. Most armies throughout history were riding horse’s way past today’s limits. History never looked kindly on drunken driving no matter the vehicle. George Smith has the dubious distinction as having the first drunk driving arrest. It happened in London in the year 1897 when George crashed his cab into a building. When automobiles first arrived in America, there weren’t any laws for drunk driving. They were first considered a toy for the wealthy. As automobiles became more main stream the local governments found ways to tax them. But in 1939 Indiana became the first state to enact a BAC (blood alcohol content) law. At that time the BAC limit was .15, almost twice what it is today. As the years witnessed tragedy after tragedy associated with drunk driving, the laws and penalties have stiffened accordingly. As a result, today there is little tolerance for drunk driving.

The statistics for drunk driving tell a sad story. In America, 10,000+ people die every year in DWI associated accidents and 900,000 are arrested. A third of the arrests are repeat offenders.  Unfortunately, many of the deaths are passengers.

Here are some sobering statistics on drunk driving:

• 28 people die every day in the US as a result of drunken driving crashes.
• There are many myths when it comes to speeding up the sobering process, such as taking a cold shower, exercising, coffee etc., unfortunately they are just that, myths. The only thing that can get you sober is time.
• 29.1 million people admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol in 2012.
• A person is injured in a drunken driving crash every two minutes.
• Statistics show that males are almost twice as likely to drive drunk over females.
• 2 out of 3 people will be involved in a drunken driving crash in their lifetime.
• 10,322 people died in drunk driving crashes in 2012. That amounts to a death every 51 minutes. The amount of people injured in drunk driving crashes in 2012 was 290,000.
• Statistics taken from 2011 shows that fatal drunken driving accidents were 4.5 times higher at night than during the day.
• 21 to 25 year olds hold the dubious honor of the highest drunk driving rate at 23.4.
• Statistics show the percentage of fatal drunk driving accidents are twice as much on the weekends versus weekdays.
• One drink is considered 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits. This should be used only as reference, as the amount of alcohol in each drink can vary.
• The costs associated with Drunk driving are a staggering $199 billion a year in the United States.
• The average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of about one drink per hour.
• When someone gets arrested for drunk driving they have driven drunk 80 times before their first arrest.

Fortunately there is a lot of information, prevention tools and support to help people at risk. Drinkinganddriving.org has helpful information to make sure you don’t get behind the wheel with a drunk driver as well as helpful information in general.

If you've been arrested for a DWI in the Queens area, you need a lawyer you can trust. Jonathan Kaye has been practicing law in New York for almost 30 years. Being a former prosecutor helps him understand the best way to defend your DWI case. Do yourself a favor and let Jonathan show you the best way to defend your case.