| Penalties for driving while under the influence of alcohol | | | | beverage. It is common for people to believe that if |
| have become more severe in recent years, while | | | | they have done something once or twice with no |
| government agencies and volunteer activists have | | | | serious repercussions, it must not be all that dangerous. |
| been campaigning to education the population about | | | | The truth is that every time you get behind a wheel |
| the dangers of this behavior. And yet many | | | | while impaired, you are taking a huge risk. It has been |
| Americans continue to take the issue lightly; in one | | | | estimated that one in two Americans - half the |
| survey, around 80% of responders admitted to driving | | | | population - will be involved in an alcohol-related |
| a car after consuming alcohol. | | | | accident at some point in their life. 708,000 people are |
| Perhaps part of the problem is that, despite highways | | | | injured every year in drunk driving accidents; 25,000 of |
| patrols' best efforts, the odds of getting arrested | | | | them are killed. Alcohol-related collisions are the |
| remain relatively slim - only about 1 in 200 drunk drivers | | | | number one cause of death for Americans between |
| will be arrested. This frightening statistic illustrates why | | | | the ages of 16 and 24. |
| harsh penalties are not enough. In 2006, there were an | | | | Even worse, you are not just putting yourself and your |
| estimated 250,851,833 registered vehicles in the US. It is | | | | passengers in danger if you drive while impaired in any |
| simply not possible to monitor all those drivers as | | | | way. Because of a few people who break the law, |
| closely as it would take to keep our roads completely | | | | the roads are less safe for all citizens, no matter how |
| safe from negligent drivers. Part of the solution to the | | | | closely they follow safety guidelines. 80% of fatal |
| high rate of DWI offenders is to educate people about | | | | drunk driving accidents occur between 8 PM and 8 |
| why driving a car after consuming alcohol or another | | | | AM, making some people afraid to drive at all during |
| drug is not something to be considered casually. | | | | those hours, especially during holidays. If the practice of |
| Many people seem to think that the dangers of driving | | | | driving while impaired could be eliminated, 50% of fatal |
| while intoxicated are overhyped. Perhaps this is | | | | highway collisions could be avoided. |
| because so many Americans, by their own admission, | | | | For information about Texas law and drunk driving, |
| have driven after consuming some amount of alcoholic | | | | contact Dallas DWI attorney Mark T. Lassiter. |