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Gone are the days when driving under the influence would go unnoticed on the road by neighborhood police.

As the number of accidents related to drunk driving increases on streets and highways, MADD and other advocacy groups continue to fight for state and federal legislation cracking down on DUI (driving under the influence) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) offenders.

Today, throughout the U.S. the strict levels of alcohol you consume before getting in your have been reduced from a legal limit of 0.10 BAC (blood alcohol content) to 0.8 BAC.

Many states even have Zero Tolerance laws prohibiting drivers under 21 from driving a vehicle under the influence of ANY amount of alcohol whatsoever.

A growing number of other states have also passed Administrative License Revocation (ALR) laws, which allow police to seize the license of any drivers who fail or refuse to take a breathalyzer test.

Typically, first-time DUI offenders face lighter penalties (in most states) than repeat offenders, who can face mandatory jail time as well as suspension or complete revocation of their license. Vehicle forfeiture, the legal right to vote or to own a gun may also be part of the DUI penalty equation.

To get back on the road, repeat offenders may often have to attend stringent DUI courses that may entail professional counseling, medical treatment, and/or face-to-face meetings with their accident victims - before getting their license back.

What to do if you're arrested or DUI? Not much, say some experts citing the "zero tolerance" attitude in many communities. A lawyer may help with some issues such as license suspension or revocation, but typically your sentence will not be reduced since DUI penalties are mandatory in most areas.

Elsewhere on the Web, find out more about other penalties drivers face for DUI or DWI offenses, where to find more information on DUI laws in your state, plus related news, statistics and legislation related to Driving Under the Influence ....

also see -> Auto Accidents | Traffic Tickets & Violations

also see in Health -> Teen Drinking

More about drunk driving around the Web:

DUI FYI - One-stop browsing for information on DUI legislation, punishments for DUI that are common to most states, related news, FAQ, searchable DUI lawyers by state, related links.

State Drunk Driving Laws - Information on the criminal status of drunk driving offenses in all 50 U.S. states including penalties for aggravated drunk driving, repeat offenders, refusing drunk driving tests, and drunk driving with minors.

DUI / DWI Laws - Quick fact sheet with a table illustrating illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC), license suspension or revocation, vehicle forfeiture, and open container laws in all 50 states.

III,org - Drunk Driving - Insurance Information Institute report with a sweeping overview of drunk driving legislation in the U.S. including states where statues hold alcoholic beverage servers liable in drunk driving cases.

DUI Blog - California lawyer featuring regular rants on the topic, legal advice and insider information on pitfalls & dangers of presenting a drunk driving defense, current legislation, alcohol level testing, and DUI trends.

The information provided on these pages is intended as reference
only and does not constitute professional legal advice.