A DUI Arrest Can Occur Even if You Not Drunk
Most commonly, a person arrested for a DUI is arrested because he or she is under influence of drugs or alcohol. It is possible for the police to make an error and arrested someone who is not under influence of any drugs or alcohol. For example, lack of sleep, being careless or distracted while driving can result in a DUI arrest. Moreover, often, a driver who is negligent or sleepy can be very dangerous, even when he or she is sober.
The law can punish drivers for negligent driving, although every instance is not specifically addressed by the legal system. If you fall asleep on the road or get distracted by a mobile phone, you can be found negligent by the court and have a serious criminal charges filed against you. Usually, the charges are determined by the amount of injuries. Because it is extremely difficult to measure being sleepy, sleepy drivers are often suspected of DUI, especially when there is a smell of alcohol, albeit, not causing any impairment.
Sleepy can be equated to drunk
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has widened its definition of impaired driving. Recently, this term started to include not only drunk, drugged or distracted driving, but also being drowsy on the road. According to the latest report of Governors Highway Safety Administration, being up to 18 hours without sleep can cause you to drive in a condition similar to a person with a BAC level of 0.05 percent. If you’re awake for 24 hours, the manner in which you drive a car can be compared to someone whose BAC level is 0.10 percent, a level which is higher then a legal limit in the United States (.08% BAC)
Falling asleep is not the only danger of a tired driver. Lack of sleep also affects driver’s reaction time, attention, caution, and ability to make adequate decisions in various traffic situations. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy drivers have doubled the chance of committing performance errors when comparing to drivers who got enough sleep. Another study by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that an estimated 1 to 5 fatal crashes involve drowsy drivers. Also, many of those who fall asleep at the steering wheel do that very quickly, within the first hour of driving.
Such “sleepy” incidents happen at most among young people, shift workers and some other adults. Another risky drivers are those who drive alone. Sadly, the sleepy drivers are usually too reluctant to simply pull off the road to a safe spot and take a quick nap. The best way to avoid drowsy driving is to refrain from driving if you feel tired. It is far better to waste time and money waiting for a cab than risk your life.
Highway is not a place for messaging and calls
Using a mobile phone while driving is as dangerous as ignoring the fatigue and driving alone. The National Safety Council reports that that drivers who use cellphones on the road hit brackets a half a second slower in dangerous situations. Moreover, they miss half of the visual signals sent by responsible drivers. Despite that 90% percent of drivers support restricting calling or texting on road, they keep ignoring their own decisions and put themselves in a danger of getting into an accident.
The Danger of Eating While Driving
Another common issue with destructed driving is eating while holding the steering wheel. The main concern is not about taking your eyes off the road. Consuming the food while driving forces you to split your attention on two incompatible processes. However, the law doesn’t restrict drivers from eating while driving yet.
Only Maine and Utah passed laws that bans any activity that is not related to driving. Right now, there are no good reason why such measures are not accepted by all the states. Perhaps the laws that ban cell phone use or food consumption have to show statistical rate of accident decrease. Right now such restrictions don’t seem to be very reliable unlike, for instance, seat belt laws. Nevertheless, you should consider these reasons when getting behind the wheel of your vehicle.
If you are arrested for a DUI, please call Los Angeles DUI Attorney to talk to someone who is qualified to help you defend your case. Los Angles DUI attorney is known for his dedication to his clients and his ability to get the best results for his clients in the most desperate situations. We offer great payment plans and can help you not only in court but also at the DMV. Our top Los Angeles DUI lawyer is able to provide quality defense at affordable price.
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