| g While Impaired" or "Driving Under the Influence" of | | | | license may be suspended or the driver may be given |
| (intoxicating drinks), whichever way one wishes to | | | | another form of penalty like serious fine or increased |
| expand this very familiar acronym, the fact remains | | | | insurance points or both. |
| that the worldwide statistics on DWI cases and | | | | The DWI offense is viewed as more severe and dealt |
| offenders are alarming! | | | | with harsher penalties if the suspected driver is also |
| Statistics on DWI Cases | | | | consuming strong drugs along with alcohol. The |
| Of all combined the road accidents, as high as 60- | | | | influence of strong drugs, combined with a high blood |
| 75% of serious collisions and fatalities are accountable | | | | alcohol level, can seriously impair a driver's ability to |
| to DWI offenders. With such an alarming statistical | | | | drive. |
| figure, it is only natural that worldwide, traffic patrol and | | | | Potential Driving Problems When Driving Under the |
| law enforcement departments have to take extra | | | | influence |
| precautionary measures to prevent such crimes from | | | | A person, driving under the influence of intoxicating |
| taking place. | | | | liquid, can suffer from the following |
| The survivors who come out of DWI-related road | | | | Inabilities, even though these inabilities are not inherent |
| accidents are often permanently impaired and have to | | | | to the driver's physical make-up, research seems to |
| live on a bare-minimum survival condition rest of their | | | | suggest that a perfectly healthy and expert driver, |
| lives. Some of them, along with their severely impaired | | | | when driving under the influence of intoxicating liquids, |
| physical conditions, have to go through prison terms for | | | | will tend to suffer from: |
| offending such serious traffic crimes. | | | | Lack of alertness |
| The BAC test | | | | A lack of good judgment |
| In most locations, the Blood Alcohol Condition (BAC) | | | | Lack of clear vision |
| determines the amount of alcohol present in a | | | | Lack of sharp reflex and the lack of an ability to |
| particular driver's bloodstream at the time of test. | | | | quickly react to adverse conditions on the road |
| These tests are conducted in many ways: through | | | | Lack of emotional balance |
| breathalyzer tests, blood tests, or urine tests | | | | All the above conditions are potential hazardous for |
| If the BAC level at any time exceeds the maximum | | | | normal driving conditions and DWI offenders rarely |
| permissible level in a driver's body, then the driver will | | | | remain "safe drivers", no matter what their ages or |
| be immediately penalized even though he may not | | | | driving expertise levels. |
| have committed a crime but still remains a potential | | | | Alarming traffic fatalities attributable to DWI offenders |
| threat to road safety. | | | | should indicate that DWI ought to be taken very |
| If a driver has been suspected of driving under the | | | | seriously and more vigilant committees or awareness |
| influence and has been asked to go through a BAC | | | | groups should be formed to raise public knowledge |
| test by traffic patrol or law enforcement department, | | | | and public's role in actively preventing drunk drivers to |
| he or she may or may refuse to complete the test. I | | | | be behind the wheels. |
| such cases, depending on the state law, the driver's | | | | |