Since the early 80s, deaths associated with drunk driving have fallen steadily year after year. This drop can be attributed, in part, to effective educational programs as well as an increase in the number of drunk driving laws.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (of NHTSA) reports that an estimated 25,173 people were killed in automobile accidents that were alcohol-related in 1982. That number dropped to 16,885 in the year 2005. Groups such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) have stated that this change can be attributed to the success of anti-drunk driving laws, as alcohol-related deaths declined more notably than non-alcohol related deaths.
Types of Drunk Driving Laws
There are various laws governing alcohol consumption and automobile operation. The first, and most well known offenses are Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Driving While Intoxicated or Impaired (DWI), or Operating While Intoxicated or Impaired (OWI). These offenses are usually assigned based on an officer’s impression of a driver, usually resulting from:
- Erratic and dangerous driving
- Slurred speech and / or incoherency
- Failure to pass a roadside sobriety test
A more recent offense is called “illegal per se”. When talking about drunk driving, illegal per se makes it illegal for an individual to drive with a blood alcohol content (or BAC) of 0.08% or higher. Since 2002, all 50 states in the US have made it illegal to drive with this BAC.
Some states have made even stricter penalties for individuals who get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. Some states have introduced “zero tolerance” BAC levels which can result in punishment for drivers who have a BAC of anywhere between 0.01%-0.05%. There are also “enhanced penalty” BAC levels in some states which give even harsher punishments for drivers with a BAC of .15% or higher.
With the amount of variation from state to state, it is important to contact a legal professional to know exactly what the laws are for your particular state regarding drinking and driving.
If you or someone you know has been injured in an alcohol-related automobile accident, contact the Minneapolis drunk driving accident lawyers of Terry & Slane, PLLC today at 612-362-0000.
