The consequences that a drunk driver faces when he is charged with DUIs are increasingly growing severe and long lasting. A majority of the states in the USA has adopted zero tolerance in terms of the penalties that are imposed in the DUI cases. Despite such stern approach towards cases involving drunken driving, public awareness about the its dangerous results is far from high.
Direct Effects of Drunk Driving
The alcohol in the system causes impairment. The drunk driver who has had few drinks before he started driving has a terribly reduced sense of judgment about distance, perspective and the approaching vehicle. His brain has poor capacity to process the information that he receives on the road. His speech, memory, vision and coordination are highly affected.
The BAC level of 0.10 or greater increases the chances of causing a fatal accident 7 times more than when the driver has abstained. Furthermore, if the driver has a BAC level of 0.15 or more, the chances of his killing somebody and himself jumps to 25 times higher than earlier.
Though a driver cannot be convicted if the BAC level is found to be below 0.08, even a trace of alcohol in the system can present the risk of crashing on the roads. The BAC level as low as 0.04% presents 1.4 times more chances of causing accidents on the road.
Suspension of the License
A drunk driver who faces DUI charges loses his license and faces fines for sure. In some states, the officers suspend the licenses at the time of making arrests irrespective of whether the drunk driver is cooperating for the sobriety tests or not.
A convicted driver has to make great efforts and spend a huge amount of money to reclaim his license. Most states require the offenders to pay fines, undergo probation, attend educational classes and sometimes even serve a jail time before handing his license back.
The penalties may be less severe for the first time offenders but they cannot escape fines and probation at any cost.
Long-Term Consequences
A DUI conviction can have consequences on the offender’s future employment opportunities. It may also affect his credit profile. His immigration and insurance records are also influenced by these charges. Some insurance companies increase their rates or discontinue coverage totally, once they find a client has DUI charges or conviction in his records.