New Yorkers might want to be aware that Albany County has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for repeat drunk driving offenders. The new policy was announced on May 26 in advance of the Memorial Day weekend.
The New York State Court of Appeals voted unanimously on May 9 to uphold controversial rules that allow the Department of Motor Vehicles to permanently revoke the driving privileges of repeat drunk drivers. The 5-0 vote by the state’s highest court brings a contentious lawsuit filed by three New York residents to an end. More than 13,600 applications for the reinstatement of driving privileges have been declined by the DMV commissioner since the rules went into effect in 2012 according to figures released by the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Drivers in New York may be interested in a recent study conducted by researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The results of the study show that state laws mandating the use of ignition interlocks for individuals convicted of drunk driving offenses are a significant factor in the reduction drunk driving crashes that cause fatalities.
New York motorists may have heard that the rate of drugged driving may be more common than once thought. The prevalence of the behavior, as well as a rise in traffic fatalities caused by drug impairment in certain parts of the country, could be due to the increase in drug abuse, particularly heroin and methamphetamines.
As you make your way down the road, do you ever take note of other drivers who are not paying attention to the task at hand?
Anybody charged with driving while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs has a lot to lose. For example, a conviction could lead to a loss of license, fine and imprisonment.
Maybe you took the family out for pizza and a few drinks, maybe there was a family reunion or a birthday party, whatever the cause a day celebrating with family could take a nasty turn if you get pulled over and accused of drunk driving.
The recreational use of marijuana remains illegal in New York, but police officers in the state still encounter drivers who appear to be under the influence of the drug on a regular basis, whether for allowed medical use or otherwise. There is currently no reliable way to determine whether or not a motorist is operating a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana, and this is a source of serious concern for law enforcement agencies across the country.
When a New York woman registered a blood alcohol level of .40 on a breath test after being pulled over for suspected DUI in 2015, police immediately rushed her to a hospital. But she had not had a drink in hours, and she had no symptoms despite having a life-threatening level of alcohol in her system. It turned out that the woman suffers from a rare medical condition called auto-brewery syndrome, which causes carbohydrates to turn into alcohol in the body. DUI charges that had been filed against the woman were dropped, and she underwent treatment for her condition.
Data shows that fewer people in New York and elsewhere are driving while they are under the influence of alcohol. Similarly, the rates of people who drive under the influence of drugs have fallen since 2008 and have remained stable for several years.