DUI Is A Focus OF Driver’s Education In High Schools

Many secondary schools around the United States are making driving while intoxicated awareness a part of their driver education curriculum. This has been true for sometime now along with visits from local law enforcement, campaigns by activist groups and teenage victims of DUI accidents; it is part of an attempt by teachers and administers to educate kids about the deadly problem of drunk driving.

Mock DUI Crashes Bring The Problems To Life

The latest attempt at bringing attention to the problems is; high school campuses are setting up fake drunk driving accident scenes to help make the problem come to life for youngsters. At high school across the country these aftermath scenes are coming to life like at :

• Gaither High School in Florida which stage one just before prom night.
• Minuteman Career and Technical High School in Lexington, Kentucky students staged one in the student’s parking lot.
• Belleview High School in Florida not only staged in accident but also included a funeral at a football game for the “victims”.
• Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California stage one complete with a flipped over vehicle and law enforcement investigation.
• George County High School in Mississippi hundreds of kid witnessed a mock scene complete with emergency workers.
• Houston High School in Wisconsin included one handcuffed student.

What Work For Teaching Teens

The government agency tasked with keeping America’s highways safe issued a report that most teens believe they can know when they or a friend is too drunk to get behind the wheel, and that they did not think that having a few drinks and then driving was a big deal. The agency listed effective methods that teens respond to but they did not mention the type of mock ups that have been going around the country today. Does this mean that these mock DUI crashes are not effective? Are the just this generation “Rocky Horror Picture Show” where the kids dress up and have a hoot and then hop out into their cars and drink and drive?

The first thing you need to do after DWI in Arizona is install an interlock device in your vehicle. All the costs associated with installation will be borne by you because you are at fault for the DWI. The state of Arizona is working overtime to come up with stricter rules and regulations so that cases of DWI will continue to decrease. There are a number of things that you need to be aware of and schedule after DWI in Arizona. The following is a list of things you need to know and do:

Civil and Criminal Proceedings - When arrested for DWI in Arizona, you face civil and criminal proceedings. Since these two proceedings have no connection to each other, you can win your civil case but lose the criminal one, lose both or win both. The criminal proceedings deal with evaluation, probation, fines and jail time.

Role of the Officer - If you are suspected of a DWI in the state of Arizona, the officer can request urine, blood and breathalyzer tests. You are given the legal right to refuse these tests but, if you do so, there is a strong possibility that your driving license is going to be automatically suspended for a period of one year. If you give them a hard time, the officer can easily get a search warrant for the tests anyway.

If the tests come to the conclusion that your Blood Alcohol Concentration level was .08% or more, your license will be seized on the spot. If you are not a resident of Arizona, the officer cannot seize your driving license.

Requesting a Hearing - To request a hearing in the state of Arizona, you need to write directly to the Motor Vehicles Department. For the hearing, you need to submit the pink copy of your driving license suspension form. Make sure that you fill out all the details correctly and send it directly to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

If you are found guilty in the criminal case, you will be punished on the basis of Arizona DWI sentencing guidelines. After getting the verdict notification, the state will suspend your driving license for at least three months. However, if it is your first DWI offense and you have given full cooperation to the officer in conducting various tests, your driving license may not be suspended.

Arraignment - the arraignment is basically a ticket date, about one to two months after your arrest. You do not need to appear in the court if you are not on bond and have an attorney. Talk to an attorney in order to understand arraignment.

Pre-trial Conference - It is the responsibility of your attorney to discuss your case with the district attorney and come up with the best possible negotiating deal. The pre-trial conference will take place one month after arraignment. Normally, you need to participate in three or four pre trial hearings.

Suppression Hearing - If your legal rights have been violated, the court can suppress some of the evidence against you. For that to happen, your attorney needs to file the proper motions. The suppression hearing will take place three months after the initial pre-trial conference.     ]]> http://www.aboutdwi.com/blog/dwi-arrest-arizona/feed/ 0 http://www.aboutdwi.com/blog/drunk-driving-laws-california/ http://www.aboutdwi.com/blog/drunk-driving-laws-california/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:37:28 +0000 Chris M. Alexander http://www.aboutdwi.com/blog/?p=732

California has implemented and formulated certain laws pertaining to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The following information is related to laws and penalties for DWI/DUI in California.

California DWI/DUI Laws

• Any person driving under the influence of alcohol or drug is against the law
• Any person having 0.08% or more, by weight, of alcohol in the blood is not liable to drive
• The state of California forbids driving for any person driving under the influence of any kind of illicit drug or alcohol
• Any person having 0.04% or more by weight of alcohol in the blood cannot drive a commercial vehicle in the state of California

California Secretary of State and Driving Laws

• Section 23152 of CA law says if a person is under the direct or combined influence of any alcoholic beverage or drug, they are not permitted to drive in the state.
• If 0.08% of alcohol is found in the blood of a person while doing a chemical test within three hours of driving, that person is not allowed to drive any vehicle
• If a person is participating in a narcotic treatment program, they can drive a vehicle if permitted by the Secretary of State of California

DWI Penalties in California

Penalties for drunk driving are incredibly complex in the state of California. If you have a conviction for driving with a BAC of 0.08% or more within the past ten years, you will bear a minimum jail sentence. Two or three priors within the last ten years will result in felony charges and state prison time. If the blood alcohol content in your body is 0.15% or higher, the state of California imposes a longer sentence. Also, if you refuse the chemical testing, you are subject to an increased jail term as per the administrative suspension for refusal.

Driving in excess of a specified speed or recklessly with a BAC measuring .08% or more leaves you subject to punishable laws. The state of California may impose enhancement of the punishment depending on the seriousness of the situation.

If you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs and have a minor passenger under the age of fourteen in the vehicle, California imposes increased penalties for the person.

The state of California also imposes stricter laws in case of injuries or accidents caused by a person driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The existence of property damage or personal injury may trigger to a more serious sentence. Also there are jurisdictions in the state that elevate the offense of personal injury to felony status.