Drunk driving is a major cause of many avoidable and extremely distressing accidents in the United States. Some locals continue to drink and drive despite knowing full well the legal repercussions of doing so. Consequences include life-threatening injuries and the potential disruption or loss of many lives.
All traffic accidents within California’s borders must be reported to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Such data is made public in neatly tabulated tables that shed light on the causes and elements contributing to driving crash statistics.
There were 1,087 deaths and 18,880 injuries in 2019 California car accidents when alcohol was a factor, according to data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Throughout the preceding five years, numbers were fairly consistent. This category includes mishaps wherein alcohol drinking was either a primary factor or a contributing factor. Visit this page!
For What Why Are Crashes Caused by Drunk Drivers So Perilous?
Intoxication and other drugs impair one’s ability to make decisions and respond quickly. You need instant reaction time when behind the wheel to deal with unpredictable road hazards and other motorists. Drunk drivers are more likely to respond slowly or try to overcompensate for their errors, increasing the risk for everyone on the road.
The symptoms of driving while intoxicated are quite similar to those of driving when tired or preoccupied. Drunk driving is a surefire way to cause an accident. If drivers are impaired by alcohol, they are more likely to speed and make other unsafe choices behind the wheel. Because of the greater force exerted by an automobile traveling at higher speeds, any resulting accidents are likely to be more devastating.
Driving Under the Influence Regulations in California
Accidents involving a driver impaired by drugs or alcohol are called driving under the influence (DUI). In California, the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit is 0.08%. This means drivers with BACs of 0.08 or more are subject to DUI charges.
Drunk driving repercussions
The penalties can be severe for anyone convicted of driving under the influence in the Golden State. It’s likely that the drunk driver’s licence will be suspended and they’ll have to complete an educational course to get it back. Repeat offenders face increasingly harsh sanctions.
Together with these legal repercussions, California law also imposes civil DUI sanctions designed to provide financial relief to those who have been hurt because of a drunk driver.