|
Senator John Kerry’s daughter, Alexandra Forbes Kerry was arrested on November 19th, 2009 on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI).
According to reports, Alexandra was in Hollywood at the time of her arrest. Law enforcement pulled Miss Kerry over for an expired registration around 12:40 a.m., then arrested and booked her at the Los Angeles Police Department, Hollywood station for failing a field sobriety test and driving under the influence of alcohol. Alexandra, a 36 year old film producer and director was later released on a $5,000 bail at around 5:25 a.m.
TMZ.com reported that Alexandra refused to take a breath analyzer test at the scene. A later test show a level of 0.06, which is under the legal limit of 0.08.
We can learn from this incident that DUI drivers come from many different walks of life, age, income, and education backgrounds and are not limited to a certain group or class of people. Below are some information about the dangers of drinking and driving.
Dangers of Driving under the Influence of Alcohol
Despite the strict regulations imposed on drunk driving and the risks involved, people are still choosing to get behind the wheel of their vehicle while intoxicated. Consuming any amount of alcohol can impair your driving and increase your chances of being in a fatal motor vehicle accident. When you are in an impaired state, you do not have the same reaction time as someone who has not consumed any alcohol beverage. A person who is intoxicated while driving tends to exaggerate the response of the steering wheel, have a delay in reaction of the brake and gas pedals and loosing total control of all reflexes and good judgment.
When you choose to drive while being under the influence of alcohol, you are not only putting yourself in danger, you are also putting the life of innocent people at risk. Alcohol consumption slower your reaction time to emergency situations. It also alters your good judgment to make quick decisions and alters the normal function of your brain and body, causing you to be less alert and may also cause doubled or blurred vision, thus increasing the likelihood of a catastrophic situation.
Statutory offenses to Driving while Intoxicated
All 50 states in the US and Puerto Rico have now implemented the two statutory offenses to driving while under the influence of alcohol. The first statutory offense is driving under the influence (DUI), operating a motor vehicle while impaired or intoxicated (OWI), or driving while intoxicated or impaired (DWI). The outcome is determined by a police officer’s observations based on slurred speech, unusual driving behavior or the sobriety test. The second statutory offense is called “illegal per se”. Illegal per se is driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.80 percent or higher.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level
A person with a blood alcohol concentration level of .08 to .10 is considered to be legally intoxicated. A driver with the blood alcohol concentrated (BAC) of 0.10 or greater is more likely to be involved in a fatal motor vehicle than a driver who has not consumed any alcohol.
Facts about Drinking and Driving
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle wrecks due to alcohol consumption are the leading cause of death in the United States.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported, in 2003 approximately 4 percent of people who reported driving under the influence (DUI) in the past year had been arrested and booked for DUI in the past year.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 41,059 people died in traffic crashes in 2007 in the United States.
In 2004, 30 percent of all fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-related, compared to 51 percent on weekends and holidays. |
