Understanding DUI And The Effects It Can Do To Your Driving
If someone is in physical control of a motor vehicle, and is also under the influence of alcohol, this is called DUI or Driving Under the Influence. When a driver is DUI, this can be deadly because their ability to drive is impaired.
California has laws against DUI. You cannot drive if you are under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. This law also extends to piloting planes or boats as well. You can get DUI for being drunk and piloting your boat down a waterway. It’s important to have such laws. Imagine how many lives would be at risk if there was an intoxicated pilot!
Being under the influence makes you unable to safely drive your vehicle. At as low a blood alcohol content (BAC) as 0.02%, you already have impairment in your ability to do two things at the same time (like steer and brake). When we increase the BAC to 0.08%, a driver will be unable to safely manage their vehicle and will pose a major danger if they attempt to drive.
In 1990, California passed a law making it illegal to drive a motor vehicle with a BAC of 0.08% or more. This law means that if you are driving with this BAC in California and are stopped, you will be arrested and charged with DUI.
Many other states in the US have followed this same BAC guideline. In these states, law enforcement officers are taught to gauge who is likely intoxicated.
Officers manage this by conducting what are called field sobriety tests (FST). These tests can measure a person’s agility and reflexes, and thus estimate their ability to drive safely. You can’t tell what a BAC is by FST, however.
To accurately test BAC, you need to conduct a chemical test. The most accurate way is via blood or urine sample, although measuring alcohol in the breath will also work. The breath measurement tool is the most widely known, and is called the Breathalyzer.
Laws against DUI have saved many lives. Since the 0.08% BAC law, there have been far fewer DUI related traffic fatalities.
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