DUI Penalties Are Serious For Repeat Offenders

DUI penalties vary from state-to-state, and can even vary from county-to-county within each state. The one thing that seems to be consistent is that driving under the influence penalties are getting stiffer, especially for repeat offenders, across the nation. For instance, recently new laws have been enacted that if you are convicted of a DUI and you had a minor child in the car your penalties will increase, and if you caused an accident while drunk you will face harsher punishment. If you are convicted of DUI and you are under the age of 21, watch-out as well.

In most states, when you are convicted of a repeat DUI, the charge against you will be a felony and you will face mandatory jail time. The amount of jail time will vary for each state, but it can range from as little as 10 days to as much as 1 year in jail. Fines increase substantially for repeat offenders as well. You could be facing fines that range from $2,000 to $10,000. Additionally, be prepared to lose your driving privileges for at least 6 months, but it could be as much as 5 years. Another of the many DUI penalties is that in many states your car will be confiscated. You will be required to carry high risk insurance, which can be double or triple the cost of standard auto insurance. The problem is you may not even be able to find an insurance company that will offer you coverage.
Furthermore, repeat offender DUI convictions, since they now include jail time, could cause you to lose the job you have, and make it much harder to find a new job. Having more than one DUI on your record can also affect your ability to rent a home, get a loan, or even get grants for schooling. Along with all of this you will also be required to take drug and alcohol awareness classes, these classes are known as "DUI School."

In many states you will be required to take these classes along with counseling, even with one DUI conviction. The difference is that with repeated offenses the judge has the authority to make you attend these classes for and extended amount of time.
The purpose of a DUI program is to educate you on the dangers of drinking and driving. This is a method that jurisdictions are now utilizing to help rehabilitate alcohol and drug abusers and teach them skills in stopping the abuse.
If you are ever ordered to attend these classes, most courts will now allow you to take them online. Just be sure to confirm first with your particular court system. This is a good opportunity for you for several reasons. First, you probably will not have your driver's license or a vehicle, so attending traditional classes will be very difficult. You can take your classes anytime of the day or night making it easier to fit into your schedule. They are confidential and secure. You can log into most courses from anywhere in the fifty states. When you have successfully completed the course, you will receive an Certificate of Completion to show as proof to judges, courts, attorneys, probation officers or the DMV that you have taken the class.

The Repercussions of Drinking and Driving

Did you know that according to MADD, every 52 minutes on average, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash and every 90 seconds, someone is injured due to this entirely preventable crime.  There are numerous tragic stories about people who have been killed unexpectedly by an intoxicated driver.  In 2012 alone, an estimated 1 million drivers in the U.S. were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  In fact, MADD also states that nearly a third of all people who are arrested for drunk driving are people who have already done so in the past. You should be aware that no matter how “in control” you feel, if you get behind the wheel of an automobile after drinking alcohol, you can easily contribute to these statistics. 

This is especially important to be cognizant of if you are younger in age. Younger people often feel like they are invincible and completely in control.  However, MADD and the NHTSA state that the highest population of those involved in fatal crashes resulting from drinking and driving, are those who are in the 21 to 24 age group.  The 25 to 34 age group is not too far behind in this statistic.

Be aware that the repercussions of drinking and driving can be dire.  Therefore, laws are meant to severely punish offenders.  If you are caught for DUI, no matter what your age, you will be punished with initial jail time to sober up, car impoundment, significant fines, community service work and mandatory alcohol awareness education.  You might also have your license suspended which will cause you more expense and stress to find an alternative method of getting to your responsibilities.

Furthermore, the worst part about the fines incurred is very expensive. In fact, it might cause you to be unable to pay off other debts. What makes this even harder to deal with is the fact that these fines will not be discharged from your record in the event that you have to declare bankruptcy for any reason. It is a serious concern that you have to be fully aware of.

We tend to rationalize that just this one time, I’ll drive and make it home safely.  It’s this mentality that keeps drunk drivers on the streets.  The risk of potentially causing an accident due to poor reaction time or judgment is just not worth it.  If one life is saved by the choice you make to hand the keys over to someone else or take a cab, it is worth it.  If someone you know or love suffers from alcohol addiction, get help immediately.

If you have already been convicted of a DUI and need to take alcohol education classes to fulfill your court mandate, then look no further.  Online alcohol and drug awareness classes are convenient, low in cost and easy to take.  Just get the approval of your court system first, then at the click of a button, you can log into a high quality course to meet your needs.  Classes are available in different lengths, based on what the court requires and can be completed at your own pace, any time of the day or night.  This means you won’t have to miss any work, or life commitments to complete this part of your restitution. They are an ideal way to satisfy this requirement. 

How Alcohol Affects Your Mind and Body

Alcohol has extremely negative impacts on the brain, which is why drinking and driving, simply do not go hand in hand. By consuming alcohol and driving, drivers are putting themselves, passengers and other motorists at great risks. Every year thousands of deaths are caused by drivers with high levels of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) yet individuals continue to get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol.  2011 statistics show that 32% of automobile related deaths involve alcohol.  Specifically, approximately one in every three deaths was alcohol related.

HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS DRIVING

Alcohol is a depressant drug, meaning it reduces the activity of the central nervous system, which includes the brain. Brain function is slowed down considerably and most easy tasks become difficult. Because signals from the brain to muscles deteriorate after alcohol consumption, the user experiences a loss of motor skills, and the impairment vision, judgment, confidence and emotions.

AFFECTS

There does not need to be a high level of BAC for driving skills to be affected. Alcohol affects your driving skills by:

Reducing reaction time - During the time alcohol is present in driver's system, the central nervous system slows down, processes slowly and reaction time is greatly reduced. Having a slow reaction time is the difference between braking in a crucial moment and crashing.

Difficulty multitasking - Drivers are unable to concentrate on several things at once, such as looking in the mirror to make a lane change while keeping in the current lane they are in.  They also tend to ignore their peripheral vision as they focus intensely on the road in front of them.  This causes the driver to ignore how other cars on the road are driving, or what is happening in other lanes.

Drowsiness – Alcohol consumption contributes to feeling drowsy and relaxed at the wheel.  Drivers under the influence often fall asleep and veer off the road or crash.

Impaired vision – Alcohol narrows the field of vision.  Drunk drivers have an increased chance of being susceptible to glare and have more difficulty picking out and differentiating colors. 

Over confidence - After drinking, false feelings of confidence are created. This makes the person take risks that they normally wouldn't while driving.  Examples of this are driving too fast or quickly changing from one lane to the next without warning to other drivers.

Disobeying rules - Most rules and responsibilities as a driver are forgotten while having alcohol in the system. Drivers may forget to use indicator, turn where they are not supposed to, and ignore speed limits.

There are many different ways of approaching the problem of drunk driving. The most common is to limit drinking or abstain from driving at all while having alcohol in the system.  If the individual must drink, then choosing a designated driver who does not drink any alcohol during the course of the evening is highly suggested.

If you have been convicted of a DUI, the court will mandate an alcohol and drug awareness class.  This is generally combined with community service work, paying a great deal in fines, and sometimes the suspension of your license.  Check with your court system to see if you can take these classes online.  With court approval, you will find online classes extremely convenient as they can be taken from any Internet based computer in your home, office, of local coffee house.  A quality course will include all the same information that is taught in a traditional classroom, but will be available to you any time of the day or night with the simple click of a button. 

DUI Laws In Florida

Each state in the U.S. has its own DUI laws. While some states may be stricter about their drivers being pulled over and charged with driving under the influence, others states will still have similar laws. Although the consequences will vary, every state takes driving under the influence charges very seriously. For instance, some of the DUI laws and other related information for the state of Florida are as follows:

A BAC or blood alcohol content of .08 or greater has been set as the threshold for drunk driving. DUI convictions remain on a driver's record for 75 years. Underage drivers can lose their driving privileges for up to 6 months if their blood alcohol content is .02 or greater. However, if the blood alcohol content is equal to or greater than .08, the underage driver will face other penalties including the standard penalties that graduate according to the type of offense.

If the driver is convicted and it is their first DUI, the judge can impose a fine of up to one thousand dollars. The fine can also increase if there is a minor in the car. Some of the other penalties include revoking the driver's license for a minimum of 180 days or up to 1 year. Community service can be also ordered by the judge along with court mandated DUI courses. If classes are ordered by the court, the driver must enroll in DUI School before they can get their license back and they must complete the class successfully within 90 days of restatement.

In the past, the only way a driver could complete the court-mandated classes was to attend classes in a formal classroom setting. This meant the convicted driver would have to fit these classes into their work schedules if they had a job. For some, taking time off of the job was often difficult, especially for a DUI offense. In fact, most people would not disclose this information to their boss or anyone else on the jobsite to avoid workplace embarrassment and possible corporate penalties.

Due to advances in technology, online DUI courses are now available. Specifically, this means that if the online courses will meet the court's mandated requirements, the driver can take the courses in the privacy of his/her own home and at a time that is more convenient for them. Therefore, the driver will not have to miss any days off of the job. It is important to note that not all states and counties will accept online classes, so be sure to check first with your court system to get approval.

Upon approval, courses are easy to take.  Just go online and purchase the class length that has been mandated.  The program will appear on your screen immediately and you are ready to go.  You can log-in and out of the class as many times as you wish.  The computer program holds your last spot.  The information is divided into sections with a quiz at the end of each chapter.  A final exam is issued at the end of the course.  After you have successfully passed the exam, a Certificate of Completion is sent to the client.  This is the proof you present to the judge that you have taken the course.