Now that recreational marijuana is legal in California, law enforcement agencies are racing to train officers in roadside drug recognition. Since pot became legal, the Orange County crime lab has seen a 40 percent increase in requests to process blood samples related to driving under the influence of marijuana…
The most recent DMV statistics available indicate that around 85% of those charged with driving under the influence end up getting convicted of that crime. The remainder are either not convicted or convicted of a reduced charge. A reduced charge conviction usually is the result of a plea bargain…
WILL THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA INCREASE THE DANGER ON CALIFORNIA ROADS? Here’s the headline: “Legalizing Marijuana for Recreational Use Results in Increased Crashes.” So says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety(IIHS). Based on a recent Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) study that studied crash data since 2014 in the first…
If you are a licensed professional in California, a DUI conviction could affect your license status. In this age when law enforcement information is immediately shared electronically with the state, which in turn, alerts the state boards that license certain professions, you can be sure the board that license…
We all know that driving under the influence is unwise and dangerous, with potential consequences that should convince anyone that they shouldn’t do it. Yet, close to 200,000 Californians are arrested for DUI every year. What makes a driver decide that it’s okay to get behind the wheel after…
Is 0.05 Percent the new 0.08 Percent? Since 2013, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has advocated that the legal blood alcohol level (BAC) limit for drivers in the United States be lowered to 0.05 percent or even lower. Citing numerous studies in other countries where the legal limit is…
Last month, a small plane made an emergency landing in Los Angeles County. It was not particularly noteworthy as fortunately no one was hurt. The pilot managed to make a hard landing in a warehouse parking lot with the only damage being to the aircraft’s wing as he clipped…
DRIVING WHILE ADDICTED TO A DRUG Did you know it is illegal to drive if you are addicted to a drug? That’s right, you could be charged under this statute even if you are not impaired by the drug you are addicted to at the time you are driving. While…
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE PULLED OVER AFTER DRINKING After an enjoyable dinner party where several bottles of wine were opened—feeling full in body and mind, but not particularly feeling effects of that wine, or so you think—you hop into your car and head home. A couple of…
24/7 SOBRIETY PROGRAMS FOR REPEAT DUI OFFENDERS What if every person who was a repeat drunk driver was prohibited from drinking alcohol at all—day or night, seven days a week—as part of their sentence. It may sound far-fetched but that is exactly what the state of South Dakota has done…