October is here and that means Halloween is only a few weeks away. For kids, this means getting ready for a massive candy score after trick-or-treating. Adults are often more concerned with what parties they will be attending that night. These can be a lot of fun, provided the person is responsible with their actions.
It’s no secret that there will be alcohol at these parties, and most adults will enjoy themselves. This alone isn’t a problem. The real problem arises when people who have been drinking decide that they are going to drive. Drunk driving is always a bad idea. It can get a person into a lot of trouble, and yet people break this law all of the time.
DUI Is Illegal in California
It is illegal to get behind the wheel of vehicle while intoxicated, or high, in the state of California. The reason for this is that being drunk, or high, greatly reduces a person’s mental capacities. They have less control over their body movements and have slower reaction times.
All of this adds up to really bad driving. If something unexpected happens in front of a drunk driver, they will be less likely to react in time to avoid an accident. They also struggle to perform simple tasks such as driving in a straight line. Bottom line, all of this puts people in danger.
Penalties of Driving While Drunk
The penalties for driving while drunk here in California depend on a few different factors. For starters, is this the driver’s first time breaking this law, or have they done this before? Also, was someone injured or even killed due to the driver’s actions. All of this plays a part in how the driver is punished for driving drunk.
For a first time offense, a person faces:
- Up to 6 months in county jail.
- A max fine of $1,000.
- A 4 month driver’s license suspension or 6 months with an ignition interlocking device (IID).
- 3 – 9 months of DUI school.
A second offense comes with:
- Up to 1 year in county jail.
- A max fine of $1,000.
- A 2 year driver’s license suspension or 1 year with an IID.
- 18 – 30 months of DUI school.
Third and subsequent offenses come with:
- Up to 1 year in county jail.
- A max fine of $1,000.
- A 3 year driver’s license suspension or 2 years with an IID.
- 30 months of DUI school.
If another person is injured due to the driver’s actions, then the driver can face either misdemeanor or felony charges. For a misdemeanor DUI with injury, the penalties are pretty much the same as a first time DUI offense, except the max fine is increased to $5,000. For felony DUI with injuries, the penalties are:
- 16 months to 16 years in state prison.
- A max fine of $5,000.
- 1 year of driving with an IID.
- 18 – 30 months of DUI school.
As one can see, the more often a person drives while drunk, or high, the worse the consequences become.
Don’t Drive While Drunk
Driving while drunk is bad enough on any other day of the year, but becomes extra dangerous on Halloween. On this night, lots of kids are out and about trick-or-treating. This means that a drunk driver is more likely to get into an accident on this night, and that accident is more likely to involve children.
No sane person would want to risk getting into a car accident with children, so why take the chance? That is why anyone planning on drinking this Halloween should also plan a safe ride home. Assign a designated driver (DD) before going to the party, and make sure the DD knows they are the DD. In addition, getting a safe ride home is less than a phone call away nowadays with apps like Uber and Lyft. There is no reason for anyone to drive drunk.
A person can usually also count on a friend or family member to come pick them up too. While the loved one may not enjoy the call, it is arguably better than finding out someone was hurt because they decided to drive drunk rather than bug someone.