Is Getting Jailed The Ultimate Destination For DWI Offenders?

Posted on Oct 31, 2012

If you are arrested for a DWI offense, you can be convicted and face a lot of penalties. Many offenders face strict and stiffer penalties than just fines. This can include jail time, limitation to driving and even felony if it is a repeat offense.

Types of Penalties Faced By DWI Offenders

If you are charged with DWI, you will have to undergo a series of tests and failing these tests, you will be arrested. If convicted you will face severe penalties based on the specific state laws. You will also face a series of other aggravating circumstances which include but are not restricted to jail time.

The penalties include:

• Jail Time is quite varied according to the state where the crime has occurred. If it is your first-offense DUI, it will be considered as misdemeanor, and you may face jail time of up to six months. This duration can increase based on various factors; (some states have more jail time if the BAC of the offenders is more than 0.15% or 0.20%). However, some states also have minimum jail sentences of at least several days on a first offense.
  The number of days increases considerably with subsequent offenses and can be as much as several months to a year. If it is a felony where the driver or the bystander dies due to drunk driving or if it is the third or fourth DWI, the jail time can be several years. This however, depends on the state law and the decision of the judge at trail.
• Fine The fine for DWI can be anywhere between $500 to as much as $2,000.
• Driving Limitations A DWI can also lead to limitations on driving. In this form of penalty, you will have your license suspended for a substantial period of time. It could be about 90 days for first offender and about a year for second offender and as much as three years for third offender. If you refuse a blood, breath or urine test, your license will be suspended regardless of the finding of guilt.
• Community Service and Alcohol Prevention Plans – You will be involved in other forms of penalties like alcohol teaching and prevention programs, treatment for alcohol abuse, assessment of a person for possible alcohol or drug dependency or addiction, and community service or victim restitution. It is usually recommended by the judges as compared to jail time or fines, as it helps in reforming the convict.

If you are convicted for DWI, jail time is NOT the ultimate penalty. You will face a lot of other consequences based on the frequency of your offense. The severity of the consequences increases considerably based on the extent of the DWI as well as the number of times you have committed the crime.

Alcohol, DWI cases, Drinking Law      No Comments »    

War Against Drunk Drivers – Is This Only A Fad?

Posted on Oct 18, 2012

Owing to the increase in cases of DWI and also due to the revelation that the driver driving the car of Princess Diana when she met with fateful accident was drunk, MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other groups set up a campaign again drunk driving called War Against Drunk Drivers.

New DWI laws were set up in every state due to severe campaigning of these incidents.

Reasons for War Against Drunk Drivers

After the fateful death of Lady Daina, MADD that new laws for DWI need to be set. It also decided to have a new print media campaign directly linked to Princess Diana. According to the MADD National President in 1997, Katherine Prescott said, “This tragedy is a reminder that no one is immune to drunk driving; we should feel just as outraged every time anyone is killed senselessly at the hands of a drunk driver.”

This campaign was considered to be fad and had a lot controversy associated with it. It was also considered to be exploitive. The campaign had a lot of fallouts as twenty-six percent of the respondents indicated that “MADD is exploiting a terrible tragedy for its own gain.” To add to the controversy, in one of their ads, about 120 names of girls and women are listed under the headline “We’ve Seen Too Many Princesses Die.”

However, a survey conducted by MSNBC indicated that three out of four respondents felt that if such a high profile celebrity can die due to the negligence of a drunk driver then no one is safe and something needs to be done about it.

Recommendations by WADD Campaigners

Though it carried a lot of controversies, the War Against Drunk Drivers campaign also led to a series of recommendations like:

• Beer and wine also had similar federal and state taxes as hard liquor and be indexed to the inflation rate.
• Any kind of advertisement related to alcohol and any kind of promotions of public events which was likely to have a lot of audience who were underage was to be completely eliminated.
• Any advertising related to alcohol was to be banned.

Moreover, alcoholic beverage industry was not allowed to sponsor athletic events.

This campaign brought about a lot of change to the DWI laws some of which were also implemented. This campaign might have had its weak points but it can definitely not be considered a fad; what do you guys think?

DWI Laws      3 Comments »    

Sleep-deprived? Alcohol’s Not The Antidote!

Posted on Oct 04, 2012

Fatigued, stressed and feeling low? Been sleep-deprived for quite some time? Many would resort to finding solace in a bottle of alcohol to drown their sorrows, and to just make them sleep. People claim that booze has quite a sedative effect and puts them to sleep easily, but hey! There’s a difference between passing out after drinking and good quality sleep.

If you are one of those who believe alcohol will make you sleep better, think again.

1. Alcohol Spoils Sleeping Patterns Tremendously

Though it’s true that alcohol reduces the time required to go to sleep, it wreaks havoc with sleep patterns. Consumed a little before bedtime, alcohol causes disruption in the second half of the sleep period. One becomes more prone to waking up in the middle of the night, getting disturbed by dreams and going back to sleep with much difficulty. What’s worse is that if you make a habit out of it, the temporary sedative effect of drinking may gradually wear off while these disruptive effects will continue to become worse.

2. Alcohol Consumption Leads To Poor Sleep Quality

Drinking affects the quality of sleep by causing sleep fragmentation. As mentioned, you become more prone to restlessness in the second phase of sleeping. As alcohol is metabolized by the body during the night, you become more restless, your sleep becomes lighter and you become more fidgety in your sleep. Needless to say, this doesn’t constitute a good night’s sleep and you do not end up being well-rested.

3. It’s Difficult To Focus And Concentrate On Daytime Activities

Probably, you’ll wake up with a hangover, especially if you indulged yourself a tad too much the previous night. Even if you don’t, you’ll be feeling quite fatigued and tired during the day. After all, you haven’t been able to sleep well. Don’t be surprised if you still feel sleepy during the day, because you haven’t been able to get good sleep at all.

4. Withdrawal May Lead To Insomnia

If you’ve been a heavy drinker, and decide to quit, the withdrawal symptoms will exhibit in the form of further sleep disturbances. Insomnia is said to accompany alcohol withdrawal, with some people experiencing numerous awakenings. But the real danger is relapse in the person trying to give up the habit. They might get back to the bottle believing it will help them sleep better, when, in reality, it will continue to wreak havoc with their sleeping patterns.

It’s a myth that alcohol will help you sleep better. In fact, it actually causes more sleep deprivation and will be counter-effective if you’re looking at it as a solution to your sleep problems. The scenario may be worse for women, whose bodies tend to have a higher alcohol concentration than men for the same quantity of drink consumed. That’s why alcohol may cause more sleep deprivation in women.

So the next time you turn to the bottle to help you doze, think smarter and think healthy. Stay away and stay fit!

Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse      No Comments »