Monday, December 31, 2012

Stay Safe This Holiday Season With An Online DUI Class

Tonight is New Years Eve, a celebration when millions of people across the U.S. will drink up. While many people drink alcohol responsibly, meaning consuming a drink or two throughout the evening, binge drinking or drinking until intoxicated is also commonplace. Nationally, New Years Eve ranks as the worst time for alcohol-related traffic deaths. In fact, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, between 2000 and 2010, 42% of the approximately 4,700 traffic fatalities that occurred over the New Years holiday were due to driving under the influence of alcohol.

Keep in mind that although you may not “feel” drunk, alcohol consumption slows reaction time and decision-making skills. Important critical driving skills like braking and steering and avoiding obstacles become impaired when the blood alcohol content level reaches .08 percent.

People tend to drink that last toast of champagne and then get behind the wheel because they think they will be safe enough for their short drive home. Or, they think they won’t be caught. Remember however, that tonight of all nights there will be an increased police presence on the streets and they will aggressively be looking for drunken drivers on the roads. And, many cities will have an increase in checkpoints set up. Authorities are also warning to be especially cautious because of the weather. Light snow is expected to fall in some parts of the country and the roads will be icy.

If you are caught for a DUI this holiday season, you will generally be court ordered to take an alcohol awareness education class or DUI class as part of your punishment. Your life is about to get more difficult due to all the repercussions of this offense. Do yourself a favor and ask the judge if he will approve an online DUI class. High quality classes that are designed by licensed and practicing therapists and educational experts in the field are now readily available for consumers to benefit from. Online classes provide all the same information that one would find in a traditional bricks and mortar classroom, but save you the grief of having to meet a certain classroom time across town.

Online DUI classes can be taken from the convenience of your own home from a web-based computer device, whenever your personal schedule allows. The client simply enrolls in the class and then it is available 24/7 to login and out of whenever the client has time. This way, the client doesn’t need to miss any work or school to complete the class. The course can be fit in for 20 minutes during a lunch hour, or if the client wants to get a 12-hour DUI class behind him, he can sit and take it in one day. The great thing is that it’s completely up to you! At the end of the course, the client will be expected to pass a multiple-choice final exam with a 70% or better. Upon successful completion, an official Certificate of Completion is sent to you. This is what is presented to the judge to prove the requirement was fulfilled.

Do your best to skip the drinking and driving this New Years Eve. Either have a sober designated driver or take a taxi to avoid the potential of getting a DUI or even worse, hurting yourself or those around you. However, if you do make this mistake, taking an online DUI class to fulfill court requirements is definitely the way to go!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Alcohol and Drug Awareness Classes Are Available Online For DUI Offenders

DUI statistics during the holidays are rather sobering. According to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), alcohol is blamed for 52% of fatal collisions on Christmas and 57% on New Years, compared to 41% on other days of the year. It is predicted that there will be more than 1,200 alcohol-related deaths during this time period and the CDC estimates that more than 25,000 people will be injured.

Since MADD was founded in 1980, the number of drunk driving deaths has decreased by 50%, but the numbers are still daunting. In the continuing attempt to curb these unnecessary tragedies, the National Safety Board just made the recommendation last week that DUI laws are toughened up in all 50 states by requiring ignition interlock systems be installed in the car of every first-time offender! There are currently only 17 states that require this preventive measure. MADD is also working hard in the state of Texas to get this law passed now. An ignition interlock device disables the car if the driver has any alcohol on their breath. And, the San Antonio Police Department is also asking Texas lawmakers to allow permanent DUI checkpoints across the state to help cut down on dangerous drivers.

The most reasonable solution to this issue is to not drink and drive! Remember that the average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of about one drink per hour. The faster you drink, the faster the alcohol accumulates in the body which results in high BAC levels. The only thing that can truly sober you up is time. Drinking coffee, exercising or cold showers don’t really work. MADD suggests that during the holiday party-going season everyone designate a sober driver before going out for the evening (not after everyone has had a couple drinks). If you are a host, never serve anyone under 21 years of age, include non-alcoholic drinks on your menu and stop serving alcohol 1 hour prior to the end of the party.

If you do get caught driving under the influence this holiday season, your life will change dramatically. Expect your license to be suspended for a period of time, huge legal fees for lawyers to represent to you, fines, community service work and enrollment in alcohol education classes to be levied your way. All of this will keep you busy and most likely interfere with the amount of time you are putting into work, school or family life. One way to lighten the load a bit is to take your court mandated DUI class online instead of in a classroom. Quality online alcohol education classes are available in lengths ranging from 8 – 24 hours. First get approval for a distance learning class from your judge. Then it is easy to enroll in a class from any web-based computer and you are on your way to completing your requirement. Once you enroll, you can finish the class at your own pace. If you have an upcoming deadline, you can spend the entire weekend learning the material. Upon successfully passing the multiple-choice final exam with a 70% or better, a Certificate of Completion will be mailed out to you. This certificate is the official proof you need to show the court system that you fulfilled the requirement. So, if you become a DUI offender and find yourself in the position of needing to take an alcohol class, take it online today!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

24 Hour Online DUI Classes Are Available To Fulfill Court Mandates

High profile DUI accidents and arrests within the sports industry continue to be a serious problem. This past Saturday, Josh Brent of the Dallas Cowboys was charged with intoxication manslaughter after speeding and crashing on an Irving, Texas state highway. His car flipped at least once, killing teammate Jerry Brown. This is a sad event, and the 2nd DUI for Brent. In 2009, Brent was sentenced to two years probation and 60 days in the Champaign, Illinois County jail. He was released after serving half that time and resumed his football career. There is no question that the legal repercussions from this horrible accident, aside from his own personal issues, will be severe since he will now be a two-time offender and manslaughter is involved.

In the state of Texas, manslaughter, or in this case, intoxication manslaughter, is the act of accidentally causing someone’s death with your car due to drunk driving and is a second-degree felony. Intoxication assault is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, a prison sentence of anywhere from 2-20 years, and 240 – 800 hours of community service. The judge can also order alcohol and drug education classes for rehabilitation purposes. These types of classes have become part of the protocol nationwide as jurisdictions realize that jail time is not enough for DUI offenders. It is necessary to educate these individuals with alcohol awareness education to help stop the behavior.

Sports players are under a lot of pressure to perform for their team, and to make a great deal of money. This stress often translates into nights of hard partying. Examples like this recent 100% preventable accident reinforce the need for players and everyone who is planning on drinking while away from home, to hire a designated driver, bring along a sober friend or call a taxi instead of getting behind the wheel! In fact, the NFLPA even operates a safe ride program that is advertised on the back of every union card.

A 24 Hour Level 3 Drug & Alcohol Awareness Class is one of educating Brent as to how and he can overcome this high-risk behavior. Unfortunately, he has already realized the worst possible scenario for the immediate repercussions of drinking and driving. Classes will teach him about the health risks involved to the brain, central nervous system and body, and how his alcoholic behavior affects other family members. For example, he may not realize how unreliable, unstable and unfocused he had become. High quality programs also teach ways to stop the behavior through improving communication skills, skills in stress management and confidence building techniques.

The most convenient and simple way to take an alcohol education class is to take it online. Look for a course that is has a BBB rating of A+, offers a 100% guarantee, and is designed by an expert in the field with the appropriate drug and alcohol credentials. Prior to taking the class, ask your court for approval to make sure they accept distance-learning classes. More and more legal systems across the country are accepting them because they understand how difficult it is to get a pre-scheduled traditional class held at a building site. Online classes enable clients to stay at home and privately focus on healing and their own behavioral change. They also offer flexibility as they are available 24/7, so the offender doesn’t need to miss any more work or school to attend.

Take an online alcohol and drug awareness today to fulfill your court mandate or for self-improvement purposes to avoid finding yourself in a tragic situation.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

For Faster Results Take A DUI Class Online

Getting a DUI conviction is no walk in the park. This type of charge is taken extremely seriously in all 50 states and rarely are even first time offenders let off lightly. One can expect a license suspension and criminal court proceedings. This adds up to money spent on fines, lawyers and transportation costs as well as money lost from missed work time. Then the DUI sentence could include jail time, community service and mandatory alcohol and drug education classes.

Some jurisdictions also require that an ignition interlock devices be installed in your vehicle as well. This is also at a cost to you.

DUI convictions can also cause complete turmoil in your personal life. First of all, you may not be able to drive anywhere for a period of time, and you will end up with at least a misdemeanor on your record. If you have prior convictions or hurt anyone, you can end up with a felony charge on your record.

If all of this news isn’t enough to scare you into thinking before drinking, then also take into consideration that future employers may not be thrilled to hire someone with a DUI on their record. And, last but not least, your car insurance is going to skyrocket. Automobile companies will now consider you to be high risk and some may cancel your policy even if you’ve been in good standing for many years. Then you will be forced to purchase insurance through a high-risk insurer and it will cost the big bucks.

So now that you’ve read about all these punishments, the one shred of silver lining that an offender can do for herself post DUI conviction is to fulfill her court mandated alcohol education class online. Taking a class online allows the client the convenience of sitting at a computer, or with a laptop or Ipad, in the comfort of her own home. Absolutely nothing needs to be printed out or downloaded so you don’t have to be hooked up to a printer. Furthermore, this ability takes away the stress of having to meet a school’s predetermined schedule and the worry of actually getting there.

Online DUI courses are available online to fulfill court mandates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Always check first to make sure that your particular jurisdiction accepts distance-learning classes. If so, they are easy to follow and can generally be finished faster than going to a weekly class. For example, if you are going to court in less than a week and need to accomplish a 20 Hour Alcohol Awareness Class, it can be completed in one weekend. Or, you can spread out the learning an hour a night for 3 weeks. At the end of the course, a Certificate of Completion will immediately be sent out to you. This document shows your successful completion of the DUI class program and is what you present to the court. Taking a DUI class online rather than in a classroom is one of the few things you can do to help avoid more stress during this otherwise very difficult time.