Posts Tagged ‘Binge Drinking’

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Drunk Driving in Teens – Is your Child at Stake?

Posted on Apr 21, 2010

As parents, it is important that we understand the issues that affect our children. We must understand that the realities of life are far different from when we grew up as kids. In our days as children, parents had more control over what, where and who their children associate with, without fear of the authorities accusing you of being anti-social or repressive. Today kids are given more freedom to develop their personalities and this has led to some being influenced by the wrong individuals who lead them into a habit of alcohol consumption. As a result, majority of teenagers are at risk.

Studies show that most teenagers practice what is known as “binge drinking”, where they consume five or more alcoholic beverages in one sitting. At their stage of physical development, their bodies are unable to withstand such high blood-alcohol concentrations. These results in them are becoming significantly disorientated where they exhibit a significant reduction in their judgment. When we add this fact with inexperience as a driver, all we can see is an accident just looking for a location to happen. This fact was corroborated by data issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration where they stated that although teens between the ages of sixteen to twenty only occupied 6.4% of driver’s license issued each year, these teens account for a disproportionately high percent of road accidents such as collisions, crashes and fatalities due to drunk driving.

What can Parents do about their Drunk-Driving Kids?

Many steps can be taken to determine if your child is at risk of drunk driving. Some of these steps include:

• Lead by Example: A huge majority of kids will tell you they started drinking at ages 12 or 13. At this age, they are not going to clubs or bars. So where do they get this alcohol from? We adults sometimes leave our bottles of alcohol carelessly around the house thinking they are of no interest to our kids. However kids practice what they see us do as adults and will become curious about drinking alcohol if the see us doing it. Always ensure that alcoholic beverages are carefully stored away from children and reduce their exposure to seeing us consuming it.
• Discussion: Start from a young age to educate your kids about the dangers of alcohol consumption and drunk driving. Be a good mentor to your kids, so when your kids express a desire to consume alcohol they will think about the effects it will have on them and you as a parent. Teach them resistance skills that will enable them to ward off peer pressure from friends who encourage them to drink and drive.
• Monitoring: Track your kid’s movement, their friends and the places they go. Most kids are involved in alcohol consumption and subsequent drunk driving based on the influence of friends. Set cut off times for clubbing and ensure that they have a designated driver whenever they go out. Also, look out for behavioral changes to detect when something is wrong.

Do you have other suggestions to control drunk driving in teens? We would really like to hear them out, do share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Teenage Drunk Drivers3 Comments »Binge Drinking Teenage Drunk Driving

Washington DWI Attorney for Binge Drinking Case

Posted on Apr 05, 2010

Binge drinking is consumption of five or more than five drinks on a single occasion in a social gathering. The alcohol consumed is approximately the quantity required to increase the BAC or blood alcohol concentration to about 0.10% which exceeds the legal limit to be charged for DWI. Binge drinking can make you impaired and unable to operate a vehicle. It leads to becoming highly intoxicated due to heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time.

You can be arrested for Washington ‘per se’ law which indicates that you may be convicted of a DWI in Washington if you operate a vehicle with a BAC of 0.08% or more. If you are arrested for DWI and refuse to take a chemical test, it can be used against you in court and you can be convicted. It can also lead to much harsher penalties in court and suspend your driving privilege. The washout period for earlier drunk driving convictions is 7 years.

Binge drinking case in a rise in Washington

According to the recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), cases of binge drinking have increased at an alarming rate leading to an increase in the number of alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. The study also indicates that people tend to drive a vehicle after binge drinking. This has lead to a drive to stop bars and restaurants from serving people after they are drunk. Though the number of drunk driving deaths have reduced by about 10% from 2007 to 2008, most of the efforts to minimize drunk driving cases is by punishing the drivers instead of preventing drunken driving at the source: those who instigate it.

Washington DWI Attorney and DWI Laws

According to Washington DWI law, if you are suspected to be operating a vehicle by violating the DWI statute, the state initiates two types of legal actions – criminal action as well as administrative action. While the criminal action is in response to the ticket that is given to you due to drunk driving, the administrative action is against your driving license by the Washington Department of Licensing. Both the legal actions will lead to suspension of your driving privilege and other additional penalties along with it.

When involved in such a situation, based on the Washington DWI laws, it is better that you request an Administrative Hearing within 30 days of being arrested from the Department of Licensing. If you fail to do so your license will be suspended automatically for a particular period of time. If you want to preserve your right to an Administrative Hearing, it is very important that you hire an experienced DWI attorney to submit your request to the Department of Licensing within 30 days.

The Washington DWI attorney can prepare your case to effectively defend you based on the evidence collected and put it forth in the court so your case will be better and your penalties will be reduced or completely removed. It will also help in reducing your automobile insurance premiums.

DWI, DWI Attorney, DWI LawsNo Comments »Binge Drinking DWI DWI Attorney DWI Laws

Binge Drinking in Arkansas: DWI Laws for Minors

Posted on Jan 29, 2010

Binge drinking is when you consume five or more drinks on a single occasion. The alcohol consumed is approximately the quantity required to increase the BAC or blood alcohol concentration which is considered to exceed the legal limit to be charged for DWI. Binge drinking can make you impaired and unable to operate a vehicle. It leads to becoming intoxicated due to heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. Binge drinking in Arkansas is gaining popularity among underage persons and the statistics indicate that in 2000, almost one in five underage persons aged 12 to 20 was a binge drinker with consumption of about five to more drinks on a particular occasion. This rate of binge drinking among underage persons was almost as high as that consumed by adults of 21 years or more. Effects of binge drinking amount minors in Arkansas Under Arkansas law, if you are a driver under 21, you are considered legally drunk if your blood alcohol level is 0.02 or more. The Arkansas underage DWI law is applicable to drivers under 21. If it is found that you are below 21 and your blood alcohol concentration level is between .04 and .08, you will be prosecuted under the Arkansas DWI statute which is applicable for persons 21 and over. If you are prosecuted under the underage DWI statutes due to your binge driving, you will face strict charges and the penalties are as follows: If you are a first offender, you will be charged with a fine with the amount ranging between $100 and $500. Along with this, you also need to perform public service work as ordered by a judge. Your license will also be suspended for a period of 90 days. If you are second offender, the DWI penalties are more severe and your fine will range between $200 and $1,000. You will have to perform community service work for at least 30 days. The license is suspended for about a year. Likewise, the third or subsequent offense is considered to be felony with fine between $500 and $2,000. You must also perform community service work for at least 60 days. Your license will be revoked until you reach age 21 or for three years, whichever period is longer. If you are an underage driver and your license is suspended as a result of an underage DWI you need to complete an alcohol and driving education program specifically developed for underage drivers, an alcoholism treatment program or both. Arkansas DWI Attorney According to Arkansas DWI law, if you are suspected to be operating a vehicle while violating the DWI statute after binge drinking and you are a minor, the state initiates two types of legal actions: criminal action and administrative action. Both the legal actions will lead to suspension of your driving privilege and other additional penalties along with it. The Arkansas attorney can prepare your case effectively to defend you based on the evidence he will collect for you and put forth in the court so that your case will be better and your penalties will be reduced or completely removed.

DWI Laws, Drinking Law1 Comment »Arkansas DWI Law Binge Drinking driving while intoxicated Drunk Driving DWI Law