One of the most common ways that people enter treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in Orange County is by acquiring a citation for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Commonly called a DUI, this driving offense often serves as an alert to law enforcement officials, health care providers and employers about the potential presence of an addictive condition. A DUI carries serious consequences and such driving can (and does) injure or kill people; on the other hand, a DUI represents an opportunity to rigorously evaluate your drinking or drug use, and it can be a potent launchpad to getting effective treatment for an addictive disorder.
Our beach cities like Newport Beach and Huntington Beach are world famous for active nightlife and festive atmosphere, and have one of the highest densities of bars and clubs in the country. There are also more roads and more cars here, per capita, than any other metropolitan region nationwide. While these characteristics are part of the identity and culture here in Southern California, they also can increase the potential for DUIs to occur. Here’s a look at the ins and outs of a DUI, and how a DUI gets processed in Orange County.
If you’ve been drinking and you get behind the wheel, you’re far more likely to drive erratically and catch the attention of passing vehicles and nearby law enforcement. The primary reason for this is because alcohol has a slowing effect on your central nervous system. This effect slows reaction time: studies vary, but the average person driving sober needs 0.54 seconds to hit the brakes suddenly, while a slightly inebriated person requires 0.64 seconds to suddenly brake. That difference might not seem like much, but at 70 miles per hour, it’s 10 feet, or the length of a small car. Incidentally, if you’re texting while driving — even if you’re sober — braking reaction time increases to 1.36 seconds.
A person’s level of intoxication, from alcohol at least, is usually measured by their blood alcohol concentration. The legal allowable limit of blood alcohol concentration for all states is no greater than 0.08%. This number corresponds to the amount of alcohol that can be cleared by the average person’s body in one hour, and also corresponds to how much one standard drink would raise the blood alcohol level in an average person. A standard drink is the amount of alcohol in a 12 oz. can of beer, one shot of liquor or a 5 oz. glass of wine.
Law enforcement officials usually use breath tests to determine blood alcohol concentration, and laws in some states allow them to impose higher penalties for higher concentrations. In conjunction with breath tests, they conduct “field sobriety” testing, asking those suspected of driving impaired to engage in tests of coordination that are likely to be slow or erratic with inebriation. It is these tests that establish probable cause for an arrest for a DUI.
If you’re found guilty of a DUI, sentencing often depends on several factors, such as the amount damage incurred and whether the DUI has previously occurred. In a worst-case scenario, a person with a prior DUI who causes a fatal collision while under the influence can be charged with a type of second-degree murder called vehicular homicide (sometimes known here in California as a Watson murder). Most of the time, however, DUIs are considered misdemeanors and carry a maximum sentence of six months in jail and $1000 in fines (but usually far more after penalty assessments and other secondary costs are considered), various driving privilege penalties and requirements for specific education and training. This requirement usually includes drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
In Orange County, there are several private providers with specific programs for first- and second-time DUI perpetration which the courts will recognize as training. The court system maintains a list of available providers. While such programs are not usually set up to treat addiction long-term, they can be a helpful nudge toward increasing your efforts towards addressing it more directly.
If you have made the decision to treat a drug or alcohol problem, whether as the result of a DUI or otherwise, Asana Recovery can help. With dedicated, professional staff, excellent capacity for medical detoxification and round-the-clock care available, Asana Recovery can help get you to sustainable and fun sober living and put you back in the driver’s seat.
