Understanding What Happens after Drunk Driving Accidents
Drunk driving is a top cause of accidents on the roads. In an attempt to reduce the accidents caused by DUI, the authorities have enacted laws on DUI and punishments for individuals arrested while drunk driving. Even though there has been a substantial reduction of accidents caused by drunk driving, there is much more to be done as DUI is the number one cause of accidents on the roads. Most victims of drunk driving do not know what to do or their rights in such incidents. There is a lot of confusion in such circumstances, and the victims cannot comprehend the best moves to make but learn a few things about drunk driving can shed some light.
When you take alcohol and other drugs, it negatively affects the working of your brain, thinking and muscle movements. Most organizations warn employees not to operate machines when under the influence because of poor body coordination. As you take more alcohol, its impact on your body increases. It is simple to detect a drunk driver using the Breathalyzer gadget which measures blood alcohol concentration. Some of the most common characteristics of drunk driving might include; negotiating wide turns, swerving and erratically braking without any sign.
The investigations of drunk driving accident can commence at the scene or when the suspect is in custody. First, they measure the blood alcohol concentration, and if it is beyond the recommended level, then you will be charged. If there were no injury, the driver would be charged and held until he is sober and then released on bail pending a trial at a later date. Possible punishment for such an offense might include; suspension of driving license for a period, rehabilitation or installation of a Breathalyzer in the car so that it does not start before testing driver’s sobriety.
In case you caused injuries when driving under the influence, you will receive more harsh penalties. You will be charged with the regular DUI if you were the only person involved and if other road users were injured, then the charge will be DUI causing injury. If there were fatalities, then the following charges would be possible; vehicular manslaughter, gross vehicular manslaughter or DUI murder and that depends on the prosecutor’s assessment of the situation.
Without a doubt, you will be punished if arrested for drunk driving but the severity of the punishment will depend on the extent of property damage, injuries, and deaths. Different sentences are available for DUI offense, and they might be minor or major. Some car insurance providers might be reluctant to compensate you if your vehicle was damaged in a DUI accident because they might claim that it was deliberate. Therefore, you should understand the details of your car insurance policy.