Driving Under The Influence Misconceptions

By Author: Wade Knoxville
Total Articles: 18
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Driving under the influence of anything is a very dangerous activity. Vehicular deaths are the most common way to die in America. This has been true for several decades. Driving combined with alcohol simply increases the dangers of driving even more.

Over the past three decades, drunk driving has been combated as heavily as the war on drugs. More police dui checkpoints are popping up every weekend, tougher DUI laws are being passed and even organizations like MADD lobby to increase DUI penalties.

On top of all this, DUI arrests have become a business. Cities receive income from DUIs, attorneys get paid from DUI offenders, and insurance companies get to charge higher rates. A whole micro economy has surfaced from DUI arrests alone.

The .08 Blood Alcohol Level Myth

The most common myth about driving under the influence is the misconception that you are legally allowed to drive if you blood alcohol level is below .08. This is simply untrue. In most states it is against the law to drive with any amount of alcohol in your body. Generally, if you are pulled over by a police officer with a blood alcohol ...
... level over .03, you run the risk of getting a Wet and Reckless dui. The reason why it is .03 and not .00 is to account for error inherent in the blood alcohol measuring devices (breathalyzers and blood tests).

It's true that you run into people that were let go by police officers for testing below the .08 limit. However, if the police officer feels that you driving recklessly or were going to endanger someone on the road and you were above a .03 blood alcohol level, you may spend the night in the jail anyway.

One Beer, One Shot, One Glass Of Wine Are All Fine

This is the most common mistake drinkers make before they get in their car. Measuring by the number of drinks you have had is not an accurate measurement of your blood alcohol level. The reason why is because the alcohol level in drinks vary. In addition, a person's body weight has a major effect on the blood alcohol level of a person. Finally, the amount you drink per glass or shot can vary, making this a very unreliable measurement technique.

Second Offense Is The Same Offense

People who have already been convicted with a dui offense are under a much stricter set of rules. In most states, people who have already gotten a dui are under a zero tolerance probation period. In some states the period is indefinite. If second time offenders get caught driving under the influence with any detectable amount of alcohol means a second trip back to the jail cell, and of course a second DUI. Most states will suspend the driver's license for up a year for second offenders as well.

Driving On Drugs Is Not A DUI

Can I get a DUI on marijuana? This is a very commonly asked question. The answer is yes. You can get a DUI for driving under the influence of anything. There have been stories of people getting convicted of driving under the influence of coffee. In this case the police officer felt the driver was driving recklessly because the coffee had made them too hyper on the road. Of course the only way a police officer could know this is if the driver admits they were driving hyper because of their caffeinated beverage they had been imbibing.

With that said, be careful of what you admit to police officers. The simple secret of getting pulled over is that you don't have to incriminate yourself. This can save you a trip to jail.
Wade Knoxville
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