December 2021
Drunk/Drugged Driving Prevention
With December comes many reasons to celebrate or for many a reason to mourn. With the end of an especially hard semester many choose to celebrate by drinking with friends.
If you are in Weatherford for New Years, our Police Chief Flowers, offers safe rides to anyone, no questions asked, within so many miles of city limits. He has been offering this service for several years to ensure continued safety of those who choose to live in Weatherford.
- Each day about 28 people in America die in drunk-driving car crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Over the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, more than 10,000 people died each year in drunk driving car accidents, says NHTSA.
- The number of people who died in car crashes with alcohol-impaired drivers from 2009 to 2018 just in Oklahoma, according to the most recent data from the CDC – 1,864
- The greatest percentage of drunk drivers are between the ages of 21 to 24
You DO NOT have to be driving! You can get arrested even if you are not driving but you are in the driver’s seat with the keys in the ignition or in your possession, you could be arrested for Actual Physical Control (APC). This means that you are in physical control of the vehicle while you are under the influence, even though you are not technically driving. The tickets and penalties for APC are the same as a DUI.
Here are a few of the potential costs of a DUI charge
- A fine of up to $5,000
- Court fees
- Loss of driver’s license
- Time served in prison (third felony charge carries up to 20 years)
- Up to 480 hours of community service
- Probation fees
- In-patient rehabilitative drug/alcohol treatment at your own expense
- Loss of Global Entry Pass
- Mandatory installation of an ignition interlock (blow-and-go) in your vehicle
- Loss of job
- Increased auto insurance rates
- Increase health insurance rates
- Consequences from chain of command (military)
- Impact on immigration status (non-citizens)
- Loss of future job opportunities
- Loss of educational scholarships and grants
- Academic probation or expulsion
- Loss of company car or driving privilege
Here is one person’s recount of what it cost finically after they received a DUI, luckily no one was injured as a result of them driving while under the influence
$340 for reinstatement of the license, revoked because of the DUI.
$375 for reinstatement of their license, suspended because of failure to appear on an outstanding municipal ticket for driving without insurance, incurred before the DUI arrest.
$160 for a drug and alcohol assessment.
$290 on each of two convictions of felony possession of drugs while operating a motor vehicle.
$150 to $360 for a required DUI course.
$75 per month for an ignition interlock device, which prevents the car from starting if alcohol is detected on the driver’s breath. The payments will last 18 months, totaling $1,350.
- In all, they will owe about $3,000 to fully reinstate their license. -
Other Costs
Additionally, they must continue to pay a monthly district attorney assessment of $40 a month for 24 months, totaling $960. Their court costs and fines will add about $2,000. GRAND TOTAL = greater than $6,000.
| 0.02 | Some loss of judgment; relaxation, slight body warmth, altered mood. Decline in visual functions (rapid tracking of a moving target), decline in ability to perform two tasks at the same time (divided attention) |
|---|---|
| 0.05 | Exaggerated behavior, may have loss of small-muscle control (e.g., focusing your eyes), impaired judgment, usually good feeling, lowered alertness, release of inhibition. Reduced coordination, reduced ability to track moving objects, difficulty steering, reduced response to emergency driving situations |
| 0.08 | Muscle coordination becomes poor (e.g., balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing), harder to detect danger; judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are impaired. Concentration, short-term memory loss, speed control, reduced information processing capability (e.g., signal detection, visual search), impaired perception |
| 0.10 | Clear deterioration of reaction time and control, slurred speech, poor coordination, and slowed thinking. Reduced ability to maintain lane position and brake appropriately |
| 0.15 | Far less muscle control than normal, vomiting may occur (unless this level is reached slowly or a person has developed a tolerance for alcohol), major loss of balance. Substantial impairment in vehicle control, attention to driving task, and in necessary visual and auditory information processing |
Being a responsible driver is simple: If you are drinking, do not drive.
- Plan your safe ride home before you start the party, choose a non-drinking friend as a designated driver. Do not get in with a driver who has been drinking.
- If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys and help them arrange a sober ride home.
- If you drink, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, a ride-hailing service, or a sober friend.
- If you’re hosting a party where alcohol will be served, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.
- Always wear your seat belt — it’s your best defense against impaired drivers.
Be Safe! Make Good Choices!
See You Next Semester!