| There are serious consequences involved in | | | | numbers of people who are monetarily affected |
| getting pulled over for a DWI, especially in | | | | by driving while intoxicated or under the influence. |
| Minnesota. DWI is short for "Driving While | | | | States like Minnesota are taking this problem |
| Intoxicated" which is similar to a DUI or "Driving | | | | seriously by instituting tough laws regarding DWI's. |
| Under the Influence" and means having a BAC or | | | | There are two cases opened against drivers who |
| Blood Alcohol Content of .08 or higher. A BAC of | | | | are charged with a DWI, a criminal case where jail |
| .08 means that there is .8 grams of alcohol for | | | | time and fines are possible outcomes and a traffic |
| every 1000 grams of blood in the body. Until 2005 | | | | case where the loss of driving privileges is am |
| the legal limit in Minnesota was .10 and they were | | | | expected consequence. The amount of the jail |
| the last state to adopt the more stringent national | | | | time, fine or loss of driving privileges depends on |
| standard. Experts had been calling for this | | | | the "degree" of DWI the driver is guilty of. The |
| standard since the early 1980's when studies | | | | degrees range from 1st to 4th with 1st being the |
| showed that a person's ability to operate a | | | | most severe. The degrees depend on whether |
| motorized vehicle was greatly diminished at this | | | | there are previous offenses and whether |
| level. | | | | "aggravating" factors such as children in the car or |
| A person can also be considered Driving While | | | | a BAC that is double the legal limit. |
| Intoxicated when using mind altering substances | | | | The laws in Minnesota are designed to be very |
| other than alcohol, although marijuana is not one | | | | discouraging to the practice of driving after using |
| of them. Certain household products that are | | | | drugs or alcohol and therefore the consequences |
| used as inhalants and other various prescription | | | | are therefore very severe. There is a Zero |
| (when un-prescribed or overdosed) and illegal | | | | Tolerance policy for school bus drivers and |
| drugs cause sufficient impairment as to making | | | | persons under the legal drinking age of 21. These |
| driving dangerous to oneself and to the | | | | persons would still be guilty of a DWI only if their |
| community at large. Every half hour a person in | | | | BAC were .08 or higher but they receive other |
| the United States dies because of a "drunk | | | | consequences if they have ANY alcohol |
| driver". According to statistics about 39% of fatal | | | | whatsoever in their system including losing their |
| accidents are alcohol related and another 25% are | | | | licenses. Truck drivers also have a more stringent |
| drug related. That is 64% of fatal accidents that | | | | standard. They can be found guilty of a DWI with |
| are caused by persons who are DWI! Tens of | | | | a BAC of only .04 (usually 1 or 2 drinks). |
| thousands of lives would be saved each year if | | | | The bottom line is "Don't Drink (or Drug) and |
| people would not drive while under the influence. | | | | Drive". The consequences are severe and some |
| Those numbers don't even take into account the | | | | last a lifetime. |