Did you know that driving under the influence (DUI) is the leading cause of traffic-related deaths and accidents in the U.S.? To know more about DUI and the penalties associated with it, read the article below.

What is driving under the influence (DUI)?

It is when individuals get arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or under the influence of drugs. Individuals guilty of DUI have blood alcohol content (BAC) of more than .08. Moreover, it is one of the common reasons why people get jailed and spend the night in jail.

Depending on the state or jurisdiction where you belong, DUI comes in variety of names like driving while intoxicated (DWI), operating a motor while intoxicated (OWI), driving while impaired (DWI) or operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OMVI).

DUI not only includes alcohol but any intoxicant like narcotics drug or any other drugs which affect our central nervous system.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 17,000 individuals died of alcohol-related crashes in 2006 and about 10.2 individuals aged 12 years old and above drive while they are under the influence of illicit drugs.

Statistics show that about 40% Americans got themselves involved in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes during their lifetime, while more than 50% of drivers got arrested for drunk driving.

Did you know that every two minutes, someone got himself injured because of alcohol related accident? Moreover, these accidents and injuries are not only restricted to the lives of drivers and pedestrians but it leads to about 73 billion dollars worth of losses. In 2008 alone, about one-third of drivers got themselves involved in alcohol-related crashes due to drinking and driving.

Because of the rising DUI cases in different states in the U.S. the government has imposed strict tolerance on DUI cases. Even though penalties vary from state to state, there are some common penalties which are universal.

Penalties and associated costs of DUI conviction:
1. For first time conviction, those found guilty of DUI are imprisoned from 24 hours to 11 months and 29 days, penalized from $350 to $1,500 and their drivers’ licenses are revoked for one year.
2. For second time conviction, those found guilty of DUI are imprisoned from 45 days to 11 months and 29 days, penalized from and revocation of drivers’ licenses for two years.
3. For the third conviction, those found guilty are imprisoned from 120 days to 11 months and 29 days, penalized from $1,100 to $10,000 and their drivers’ licenses are revoked for three to 10 years.
4. For fourth conviction, those found guilty are imprisoned for not less than 150 consecutive days, penalized from $3,000 to $15,000 and their drivers’ licenses are revoked for five years.

Other consequences of DUI conviction:
*Fines
*Court costs
*Towing of vehicles and payment of storage fees
*Bail
*Professional fees of lawyers
*Mandatory enrollment to alcohol education program
*Driver’s license reinstatement fees
*Higher cost of insurance premiums and SR-22 form
*Payment of ignition interlock program

With the detrimental impact of DUI conviction to your life and your future, it is best that you should avoid drinking if you are driving or you should not drive if you drink.

Author Bio: Camelia Johnston enjoys writing for Drunkdrivinginmichigan.com which offers information on Michigan DUI attorney and Royal Oak DUI attorney as well as a host of additional services.

Category: Legal
Keywords: dui penalties,influence dui,dui conviction,dui,dui charges