On behalf of Randall D. Moore at The Law Offices of Randall D. Moore, PLLC
A man in Texas was recently sentenced to two life terms in prison after receiving his 10th DWI conviction in 30 years.
Recently, according to The Washington Post, a man in Texas was sentenced to two life terms in prison after receiving his 10th DWI within a 30-year period. During the deliberation process, the jurors assigned to the man’s case did not know that he had been arrested for drunk driving nine other times. Instead, they only knew that it was at least the man’s third DWI. When the jurors found out that this was his 10th DWI, they were shocked to discover that this man had still been permitted to drive, putting others at risk for sustaining serious injuries in a collision.
This man’s situation is not unique
Like this man, many drivers operate a vehicle in an intoxicated state and are arrested for drinking and driving multiple times. According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization, approximately one-third of all drivers convicted or arrested for DWI have a history of drunk driving.
Additionally, many of these drivers are never arrested for driving in an impaired state. The MADD organization also states that every day, people drive drunk nearly 300,000 times. However, fewer than 4,000 of these drivers are arrested.
How alcohol affects driving ability
In Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation, it is illegal for drivers to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration level at or above 0.08. However, drivers can still endanger the lives of others with a BAC level below this legal limit.
For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a driver with a BAC level of just 0.02 may have a difficult time performing two tasks at once and may experience a decline in his or her visual functions. When a driver has a BAC level of 0.05, he or she may:
- Experience reduced coordination and a compromised ability to track moving objects
- Have a difficult time steering the vehicle he or she is driving
- Respond to emergency driving situations in a delayed manner
Once a driver reaches a BAC level of 0.08, he or she may be unable to concentrate and may experience short-term memory loss. A driver with this BAC level may also have a hard time controlling his or her speed while driving and have a difficult time processing information.
Recovering after an accident
Drivers, passengers or pedestrians in Texas involved in a drunk driving accident may sustain injuries that require extensive medical and rehabilitative care. If you were harmed in an accident caused by an impaired driver, reach out to an attorney in your area to assert your legal rights to fair and proper compensation.
Keywords: drunk driving, accident, injury