Drunk Driving

Operating a motor vehicle, or for that matter even a bicycle or other human-powered vehicle, after consuming alcohol or other drugs so that mental and motor skills are impaired is recognized as an act of driving under the influence (DUI) or drunk driving. Illegal in most jurisdictions, drunk driving is responsible for a large number of deaths, injuries, and accidents every year throughout the world.

The name of the specific criminal offence, depending on the jurisdiction, may be driving while intoxicated (DWI), operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OMVI), driving under the influence [of alcohol or other drugs] (DUI), or drunk in charge [of a vehicle]. Such laws are valid for boating or piloting aircraft, also.

The guilt of the driver may be established by subjective tests of his impairment, or the measurement of his blood alcohol content (BAC). BAC is expressed in terms of milligrams of alcohol per milliliters of blood, or as a percentage.

Drinking and driving is not the same as drunk driving or the other terms mentioned earlier. Drinking and driving means driving a vehicle after consuming an alcoholic beverage, or driving while consuming one. Driving after consuming alcohol is generally not considered illegal unless the driver loses his ability to drive safely as defined by law.

Even if the driver is not impaired, driving while consuming alcohol is often illegal. In some jurisdictions, keeping an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle is illegal.

In the United States, all states set a BAC limit of 0.08%. Some states, however, slap a lesser charge, known usually as driving while impaired, on a BAC of around 0.05%. All states charge under-21 drivers who have committed a drunk driving offence if alcohol is detected in their blood (set at .00%, .01% or .02% to be meaningful). The limit for aircraft pilots and commercial drivers is fixed at 0.04%.

About the Author:
Josh Riverside
Drunk Driving provides detailed information on Drunk Driving, Drunk Driving Lawyers, Drunk Driving Accidents, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and more. Drunk Driving is affiliated with Cancer Treatment Centers.
Article Submitted On: August 22, 2006
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