According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2,597 people were killed in United States traffic accidents in December 2010. Of those, 775 deaths involved alcohol-impaired drivers. There were more than 10,000 traffic fatalities in 2010 involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of at least 0.08 percent, equivalent to almost one-third of all traffic deaths.
Georgia's Driving Under the Influence Laws are complex. Clayton County DUI injury attorney Shane Smith can sort through the intermingled laws that potentially create complications in a DUI case.
A 22-year-old passenger in another state was charged with DUI when an officer determined that she caused an accident on the highway.
The woman had been drinking at a party and arranged for a sober driver. However, while sitting in the passenger's seat she grabbed the steering wheel and caused it to crash into the median. The driver sustained broken ribs in the accident.
According to the complaint, the woman "was in physical control of the vehicle when she grabbed the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to crash." The driver's BAC was 0.025 percent, well below the legal limit of 0.08 percent. The passenger's BAC was 0.21 percent.
The woman plead guilty to felony criminal vehicular operation and faces up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
If you have questions about Georgia DUI laws, get the answers in Clayton County DUI injury attorney Shane Smith's book, I Was Hit By a Drunk Driver: What Do I Do Next? Contact Shane Smith Law to schedule a free legal consultation.