Dwi

States are cracking down hard on DWI, also known as driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence (DUI). All 50 states and the District of Columbia have established a blood alcohol content at or above 0.08 percent as being the legal limit considered driving while intoxicated. With drunk driving continuing to be a major problem throughout the country, law enforcement officials are stepping up their enforcement of DWI laws and the courts and departments of motor vehicles in each state are taking it upon themselves to punish drivers severely, even for a first-time offense. There is no slap on the wrist with a DWI. It involves both a criminal proceeding in the courts as well as an administrative proceeding with the Department of Motor Vehicles. People who are over the legal limit as determined by a breath test or blood test risk losing their license, face heavy fines, and even jail time for DWI.

The administrative process involves the Department of Motor Vehicles. They can determine that a license should be immediately revoked if a person has refused to submit to a breath or blood test when they were pulled over or stopped at a sobriety checkpoint. They can also recommend suspension for a license from anywhere from 90 days for a first offense to over a year if there have been multiple offenses involved. While some states offer conditional suspension, meaning that the person can still drive to and from work for example, many states have taken this out of the equation as part of the get-tough strategy on drunk driving.

When the DWI case reaches the courts, there is still the possibility of losing driving privileges for a longer period of time or in addition to what the administrative process has imposed. Offenders also face heavy fines and having to participate in alcohol awareness classes at their own expense. Many drivers who are repeat offenders may find themselves facing some jail time in addition to losing their licenses. In the case of felony DWI, jail time may be mandated if there were extenuating circumstances such as the driver caused an accident in which there were injuries or fatalities. Additional charges may be added, such as reckless endangerment.

When it comes to DWI, it is not worth the legal hassles to be caught driving while under the influence. It is a known fact that alcohol impairs perception, awareness and reaction time, which can be dangerous when someone is behind the wheel. With so many highway fatalities attributed to drunk driving, states are likely to continue taking a no-tolerance policy of DWI and will continue to crack down hard on offenders.