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Not many details are known in the case of a recent crash in Thousand Palms, California, where a vehicle was found 50 feet off the road. At least one person had major injuries resulting from the possible drunken driving, according to a New York Personal Injury Lawyer.
All 50 states and Puerto Rico apply two statutory offenses to driving under the influence of alcohol. The first offense is known as either driving under the influence (DWI), driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI), or operating a vehicle while intoxicated/impaired (DWAI). This original charge is based solely upon a police officer’s observations at the scene. The second offense is called “illegal per se” and involves driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08 g/dL or higher – which has been illegal in all states since 2002. BAC (blood alcohol concentration) is a percentage of alcohol per deciliter of blood.
An average sized individual will have an approximate BAC of 0.04 percent in just one hour after drinking just two alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach.
“Alcohol begins impairing mental and physical reactivity after the first drink, and at 0.08, a person has lost many of the faculties that make him or her a safe driver – like paying attention, remaining alert, reacting to changes in the environment, obeying traffic signs and posted limits, etc.” a Bronx Personal Injury Lawyer reports.
The problems associated with drinking and driving are so severe that initiatives are raising money to buy and place breathalyzers inside bars in order to help patrons realize when they’ve had too much and should call a friend or a cab.
Every last drunk driving accident resulted from someone’s conscious decision to drive after consuming alcohol. This choice is completely avoidable, but too many individuals and families nationwide are affected by these poor decisions. According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), 1 in every 3 people, at some point in their lives, will be involved in an alcohol-related accident, and someone is injured every minute in a drunk driving collision – in the U.S. alone. How completely unfortunate that so many have to be affected when a simple ‘no’ to driving yourself home could save lives.
Making the choice to drive while under the influence of alcohol can cause a host of problems. Not only could the subject open themselves up to a DWI charge, if there is an car accident, the defendant can open themselves up to additional civil suits for personal injury.
Should you find yourself injured because of someone decision to drive after drinking, please seek the assistance of a New York Injury Attorney. Their services are invaluable in times such as these.