Posts Tagged ‘Impaired Driving’

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.

Blood Alcohol Content, Drunk Driving1 Comment »BAC Blood Alcohol Content Drunk Driving Impaired Driving

Impaired Driving – Can a New Mexico DWI Attorney Help?

Posted on Jan 12, 2010

New Mexico is very strict with its laws on DWI and all the drunk drivers are arrested on the basis of a program called Operation DWI. Through this program which is conducted 6 times each year with 75 to 100 sobriety checkpoints during a two-week period, they were able to arrest many people who broke the laws. They had to face severe penalties for DWI. When faced with a DWI you need to take action immediately and do two things at the earliest: take the case seriously (as a conviction for DWI in New Mexico can spoil your present and future) and hire an experienced New Mexico DWI attorney who has widespread experience in the field. He should also be aware of the courtroom proceedings. Hiring a capable New Mexico DWI attorney who has been involved in handling drunk driving defense can make a difference in the outcome of your drunk driving charge. How can New Mexico DWI Attorney help? When you are arrested for DWI and the field sobriety tests are conducted to check your impairment, there are chances that there were some procedural errors which can be effectively used by the attorney to help you in the investigation and the court might possibly get your case dismissed. DWI Attorney is the greatest resource you have with you to fight for your freedom and driving privilege. When you are charged with a DWI in New Mexico, you will have to shell out hundreds of dollars as fine and other forms of penalties along with huge amount in car insurance. You may also have to face long, license suspension. Your job might also be at stake and you might face embarrassment with current as well as future employers. The New Mexico DWI attorney can guide you through free case evaluation as well as advice. He can explain your legal rights in a DWI case and answer your questions. He can defend your case effectively in court and help you get out of the mess. He can also help you in requesting for a MVD Hearing within the stipulated time or else your license will get automatically suspended. When choosing your lawyer make sure he has specialized in DWI as there are many who claim to be DWI lawyers but are usually just regular criminal lawyers. DWI Violations in New Mexico A New Mexico DWI involved two theories which are violations of New Mexico law by driving with a BAC of 0.8% or more and driving the vehicle while impaired. Whether you are impaired can be determined by driving patterns, performance in field sobriety test as well as chemical test results. Your attorney can help you deal with these evidences as you have the right to a trial and defend yourself in a court of law. He is also experienced to guide you through the maze of legalities so you get the best possible outcome for your case. When involved in a situation like this, he can relieve your tension and stress as he is well versed with the course of action and can guide your properly. He is familiar with the workings of the court which you might find quite confusing. He will examine every detail from the time of the arrest to the time of your release and this will also include the authenticity of the tests as well as the behavior of the police officer who stopped you.

DWI, DWI Issues, DWI LawsNo Comments »Drunk Driving DWI Attorney DWI cases DWI Lawyer Impaired Driving New Mexico DWI