Your Options after a DUI

Every driver can benefit from knowing the DUI facts in your state. While driving under the influence is a serious offense throughout the country, each state deals with this crime differently. Thus, being aware of state DUI facts can help a driver avoid making a mistake that may result in a fine, suspension of license, or even time spent in jail.

DUI laws have been in place in the United States since the advent of automobiles and driving. How drunken driving has been dealt with has steadily changed, however, as accidents involving alcohol or drugs increasingly came to be recognized as a threat to public safety.

Arguably, the height of DUI offenses came in 1981 with that year seeing over 1.9 million arrests for drunken driving. State DUI facts show that the offense in most states changed from being a misdemeanor to a felony, with repeat offenders being sent to jail and losing their driving privileges.

State DUI facts also differ in what is considered being under the influence. Law enforcement agencies utilize blood alcohol content, or BAC, to determine if a person is sober or drunk. Most state DUI facts follow the standard established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which stipulates that a BAC greater than 0.01 percent indicates that a person is under the influence.

Field officers also use different techniques to determine if a person is drunk enough to have his or her blood tested for BAC. If they witness a driver weaving in and out of traffic or driving erratically, they will stop that driver and administer a field sobriety test. A field sobriety test usually involves the person’s reciting the alphabet or walking in a straight line. Failing to do these simple tasks, along with smelling like alcohol, can result in an arrest.