Impairment and Drunk Driving

Posted on Mar 10, 2010

Don’t even think about drinking and getting behind the wheel of your vehicle. Test show that impairment starts long before you reach the blood alcohol content level necessary to be charged with drunken driving.

Legal Limit

In the U.S., the legal limit for drunk driving is a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08. A 120 lb. woman might reach a .08 BAC level after only two drinks and a 180 lb. man may be at .08 after only four drinks.

A “drink” is either one shot of liquor, a five ounce glass of wine or one beer, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol. At a .08 BAC level, drivers are so impaired that they are 11 times more likely to have a single-vehicle crash than drivers with no alcohol in their system. But 25 years of research has shown that some impairment begins for both men and women even after one drink.

.02 BAC Level

At the .02 blood alcohol concentration level, experiments have demonstrated that people exhibit some loss of judgment, begin to relax and “feel good”. But tests have also shown that drivers at the .02 level experience a decline in visual function, affecting their ability to track a moving object and experience a decline in the ability to perform two tasks at the same time. This level may not register on a breathalyzer test and will not be noticed with a field sobriety test.

These changes may be very subtle and barely noticeable to the person who has had only one drink, but in an emergency situation while behind the wheel of a vehicle, they could cause the driver to react (or not react) as they would without having had a drink.

.05 BAC Level

At the .05 BAC level, people begin to exhibit exaggerated behavior, experience loss of small-muscle control — such as being able to focus their eyes quickly — have impaired judgment, lowered alertness and a release of inhibition. If someone with a BAC level of .05 gets behind the wheel, they would be operating the vehicle with reduce coordination, a further diminished ability to track moving objects, more difficulty in steering and a markedly reduced response in emergency situations.

.08 BAC Level

When someone drinking is approaching the borderline of legal driving while intoxicated levels studies show that they have poor muscle coordination (affecting their balance, speech, vision, reaction time and hearing), find it more difficult to detect danger, and exhibit impaired judgment, self-control, reasoning ability and memory. A driver with a BAC of .08 will find it more difficult to concentrate, judge the speed of the vehicle, experience reduced information processing capability and exhibit impaired perception.

Slower Reaction Time

For the person who is drinking, these impairments may be hardly noticeable, but the slow reaction times they produce can prove fatal in an emergency driving situation. That’s why it is not a good idea to drive no matter how much or little you have had to drink.

For this reason, in some states, drivers can be arrested for DWI - Driving While Impaired even if their blood alcohol concentration is lower than the legal limit, if the law enforcement officer believes there is probable cause based on the behavior and reactions of the driver.

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Celebrity DWI - Adrian Pasdar busted for DUI

Posted on Mar 08, 2010

How many times are we going to hear these celebrity gone wild stories? It is not odd that another celebrity as been busted and placed behind bars for DUI. Celebrities are known for drug and alcohol abuse, so what’s the big deal right? Well, the big deal is, not only are celebrities breaking the law and putting innocent lives at risk, they are also a big influence on society, particularly the young and impressionable. Today’s youth idolize celebrities to the point that they want to be them. Our youths look up to them so much that when they see a celebrity on TV wearing a certain pair of shoes, they buy those shoes to be the “coolest” person to walk the streets. So celebrities repeatedly breaking the law and driving while drunk will definitely have a negative impact how our youth behave in society. That’s just how it works, celebrities influence people, whether we want to admit it or not.

Adrian Pasdar Busted for DUI

This brings me to the story of yet another celebrity breaking the law and driving under the influence. Adrian Pasdar, the guy who is well known for playing the flying Senator Nathan Petrelli on “Heroes” and is married to Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines, was busted for DUI after cops say he was burning rubber and swerving all over a Los Angeles freeway.

The DUI Drama

This all began in January 2010, when police say Pasdar was swerving all over the freeway and “failing to maintain his lane.” Police clocked him driving his Ford F-150 truck at 94 mph on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles. Adrian Pasdar was arrested at 2:59 am on January 27, 2010. According to the police report, when cops approached Pasdar’s Ford F-150, they detected the odor of alcohol and decided to give him a field sobriety test. Pasdar was eventually placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI and was taken to a nearby jail, where he was booked and placed behind bars. He was released five hours later, at 8:30 am, after posting bail. TMZ reports that his bail was set at $15,000, an unusually large amount, because the actor refused to take a breathalyzer.

Pasdar was due back in court on February 24, 2010 and faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

It’s sad to report that this is not the first time a well known celebrity was caught driving while intoxicated and putting innocent lives in harm’s way, and this won’t be the last. Apparently spending a few hours behind bars, posting bail and paying chump change in fines is not sending a serious enough message and it’s clearly not working. Any suggestions on what may make celebrities think twice before they get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive while drunk?

Celebrities and DWI, DUI    1 Comment »   

Your guide to choosing a Wisconsin DWI Attorney

Posted on Mar 04, 2010

Driving a vehicle while drunk or under the influence of alcohol in Wisconsin is one of the most common offenses in the courts currently. In 2002, about 17,500 people were killed in accidents caused due to drunk driving. This means that about 41% of the 42,815 people killed in all traffic were due to drunk driving. If you are arrested for a DWI in Wisconsin, you need to be aware that it can be quite tricky to handle the case. It is best that you hire a Wisconsin DWI defense attorney to handle your case as he has better understanding of the scientific and medical concepts and will be able to question witnesses including scientists and police officers effectively to defend your case.

If you plan to fight your DWI case in Wisconsin, hire an experienced and qualified DWI attorney who has expertise in the field and has specialised in handling such cases. He will be able to either reduce the penalties or completely remove the charge from your records. If you are suspected to have consumed alcohol, the officers have the right to take field sobriety tests to determine if you have through breath, urine or blood testing. The most common blood alcohol test is to determine the blood alcohol concentration.


If you do not agree to take the field sobriety tests, your license will immediately be suspended according to the DWI law of administrative licensing suspension. This might affect your DWI defense. If you are proven guilty of a DWI, the officer will also suspend your license and it will be considered a misdemeanor offense. If it is your repeat offense, the penalties offered to you will be more severe

Choosing a Wisconsin DWI Attorney

When arrested for DWI, the first step you need to take is to contact a DWI attorney in the area. However, when choosing your Wisconsin DWI attorney, you need to be careful of choosing one who is not just a private attorney but one who has specialization in DWI defense. Your decision should not be restricted to the cost of hiring the DWI attorney but should be based on the attorney’s knowledge and experience.

They should be well versed with changes in the DWI laws in Wisconsin as well as the medical and legal aspects of the case. When arrested, it is better to hire an attorney immediately so you he can help you in revoking your license by appealing in the court within a stipulated timeframe.

When you choose your Wisconsin DWI attorney you need to look for answers to a few questions related to the credibility of the attorney:

• Does the attorney have adequate DWI experience?
• Does he personally handles the cases and discusses the facts of the case and research on the criminal charges prior to indicating the fees?
• Does he have adequate knowledge about DWI laws?
• What is his background and his experience in Wisconsin?
• Does he have necessary expertise in defending DWI cases?
• Does he refer to various procedures, manuals and books used to train Wisconsin officers in making a DWI stop and arrest?
• What is the cost involved in handling the case?

An experienced Wisconsin DWI attorney who specializes in blood alcohol analysis and drunk driving cases can effectively handle criminal and administrative proceedings of your DWI case. He will also help you in ensuring that your rights are protected at the hearing in the court and improve your chances of keeping your driving privileges.

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