Washington, DC – DUI Penalties
As it is in all of the States in the US, it is illegal to drive a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of over 0.08 in the District of Columbia. The penalties for a DUI in Washington, DC are not as severe as some of the States, but they are certainly not light either. On the first offense, a driver convicted of a DUI faces penalties of a maximum of 90 days in jail, a fine of between $300.00 and $1,000.00 and a six month drivers license suspension.
On the second offense, the penalties increase to a full year’s suspension, a fine between $1,000.00 and $5,000 as well as the possibility of a one year jail term.
If you’re caught and convicted a third time, here’s what you face:
- Jail – 1 Year Maximum
- Fine – From $2,000 to $10,000
- License – 2 Year Suspension
Of course, lawyers fees and insurance rates will add to the cost considerably.
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Tags: dui penalties, washington dc dui penalties | 
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Delaware Drinking And Driving Penalties
Although Delaware is the second smallest State in the US, she carries a hefty stick as far as DUI penalties are concerned. You could of course find out yourself what your blood alcohol reading is before you get behind the wheel – might save you a lot of money and grief. Find out more here if you already know the smacking you’ll get in Delaware.
Still with me? On the first DUI conviction in Delaware, here’s what you are facing:
Jail in Prison – up to six months.
If you’re blood alcohol concentration is between 0.08 and 0.15, your license will be suspended for 12 months. You’ll be joining your almost neighbors in Connecticut, looking for the pony that Yankee Doodle drove into town. And it gets worse:
If your blood alcohol concentration is between 0.15 and 0.19, that license just went away for 18 months. BAC over 0.20? Say goodbye to driving a motorized vehicle (bicycles and ponys are ok though) for two years.
You’ll also be fined between $500.00 and $1,000.00. What were you planning on getting your girlfriend or wife for Christmas?
So you know you don’t want to take a chance on that first conviction, right? Know your BAC before you even get behind the wheel. Much cheaper and you’re wife will still love you. Here you go.
Second DUI Conviction Penalties
Ok, so you got behind the wheel once, thinking you were ok.. what happens if it happens again? Here’s what you’re facing:
- Imprisonment – Mandatory 60 Days to 18 Months
- License Suspension – 24 Months (BAC of .08 to less than .15)
- License Suspension – 24 Months (BAC of .15 to less than .19)
- License Suspension – 30 Months (BAC Greater Than .20)
- Fine – From $750 to $2,500
- Ignition Interlock Device May Be Allowed After 12 Months
You don’t want to go there, right? Find out how much alcohol is in your blood before you drive. Here’s how.
Three and four times in Delaware? The DUI Penalties get really bad with that prison time. Minimum 1 year on the third go round, and on the fourth, how does 2 years and up to 5 years looking at bars sound? How do you know you haven’t had just one drink too many – enough to put you behind bars? Here’s how you can know before you drive.
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Connecticut DUI Penalties – Humming Yankee Doodle
Although Connecticut is known as the “Yankee Doodle State,” you won’t be humming that tune if you’re charged with a DUI in Connecticut. At least not the day after you’re charged. This State has some pretty tough DUI penalties.
On your first offense, you are facing a minimum 48 hour jail sentence and up to 6 months behind bars. If you do have your jail term suspended, you could be looking at up to 100 hours of community service. You can kiss between $500.00 and $1000.00 away in fines, and your drivers license will be suspended for one year.
On top of that, you will be required to participate in a complete Substance Abuse Treatment Program.
If you keep getting caught drinking and driving in Connecticut, you’ll be joining Yankee Doodle, and riding into town on a pony:
The second dui offense calls for penalties of a minimum of 120 days in jail, and up to 2 years. You’ll be fined between $1,000.00 and $4,000.00 if convicted, and your license will be gone for another year. If you get it back, you’ll be require to have an ignition interlock system installed for 2 years. Your vehicle will be towed and impounded of 48 hours.
Third time for an driving while impaired conviction? You’ve gone and done it! You better keep a stable of ponys because you’re never getting your license back after you come out of jail for up to 3 years and have paid your as high as $8,000.00 fine.
Prevent It!
You could of course know what your blood alcohol limit is in the first place, before you get behind the wheel – would save you a heck of a lot of money in the long run and the embarrassment of riding a pony into town. Your own personal breathalyzer for a fraction of the cost of the fines, lost time in jail, and community service. Check it out here.
Appointment With Back On Track
I finally was able to speak with someone from a “Back On Track” provider’s office. I have an appointment which is scheduled to last about one hour, later this month.
I was told that if I needed to change the appointment, I needed to give 24 hours notice. If I did not give that much notice, then I would be marked as “Failed” and would have to start all over again, which means also paying the full fee of the Back On Track program – again.
Offices Of Ontario’s Back On Track Program
After I was charged with Impaired Driving in Ontario, I became aware that I would be required to register for and participate in Ontario’s Back On Track remedial program. As mentioned previously, this program is a three part program with a follow up interview that is required in order to have your driver’s license reinstated in this Province.
When I tried to research this program, I found very few details and couldn’t even find out where I would have to attend the program. The offices are not listed on the Back On Track website.
After I was convicted, I registered for the program and the other day, I received a notice in the mail advising me that my fee had been processed. The notice advised me that it was now my responsibility to contact one of the providers of the Back On Track Program to arrange for my Assessment and further participation in the program.
According to the notice, the following are the offices in the Province of Ontario of the Back On Track providers. Locations marked with an asterisk provide the program in the French language as well as English:
Southern Ontario
Aurora / Newmarket
Addiction Service for York Region
Tel: 905.841.7007 ext. 331
Barrie*
Simcoe Outreach Services
Tel: 705.726.7062
Bellville
Addictions Centre (Hastings/Prince Edward Counties) Inc.
Tel: 613.969.8893
Brampton / Mississauga (Peel)*
Peel Addiction Assessment & Referral Centre (PAARC)
Tel: 905.626.4927
Brantford
St. Leonard’s Community Services
Tel: 519.754.0253 ext. 327
Burlington / Oakville
ADAPT Halton (Alcohol and Drug Assessment Prevention & Treatment)
Tel: 905.467.6537
Cornwall*
Addiction Services of Eastern Ontario
Tel: 613.936.9236
Guelph / Kitchener
John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington
Tel: 519-836.1501 ext. 200 (Guelph)
Tel: 519.743.6071 ext. 305 (Kitchener)
Hamilton*
Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Services
Tel: 905.546.3605
Kingston
Frontenac Community Mental Health Services
Options For Change
Tel: 613.544.1356
London*
Addiction Services of Thames Valley
Tel: 519.673.3130
Oshawa
Pinewood Centre
Tel: 905.723.8195 ext. 211
Ottawa*
Sandy Hill Community Health Centre
Tel: 613.244.2827
Pembroke / Renfrew*
Pathways Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services
Tel: 613.432.8573
Peterborough
Four Counties Addiction Services
Tel: 705.876.1292
Sarnia
Lambton County Addiction Services
Tel: 519.464.4500 ext. 5370
St. Catherines*
Community Addiction Service of Niagara
Tel: 905.641.0845
Stratford / Owen Sound
Choices For Change
Tel: 519.271.6730 ext. 40
Smiths Falls / Brockville
Tri County Addiction Services
Tel: 613.283.2404
Toronto*
Centre For Addiction and Mental Health
Tel: 416.535.8501 ext. 6138
Windsor*
Essex County Addiction Assessment Referral Service
Tel: 519.257.5111 ext. 76940
NORTHERN ONTARIO
Bracebridge / Parry Sound
Addiction Outreach
Muskoka Parry Sound
Bracebridge Tel: 705.645.1311
Parry Sound Tel: 705.746.7113
Kenora*
Lake of the Woods Addictions Services
Tel: 807.467.3555
North Bay*
Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing
Tel: 705.472.6515
Sault Ste Marie*
Algoma Public Health
Tel: 705.759.1844
Sudbury*
Sudbury Counselling Centre
Tel: 705.524.9629 ext. 206
Thunder Bay*
Thunder Bay Counselling Centre
Assessments – Tel: 807.684.1880
Messages After Hours – Tel: 807.684.1877
Sister Margaret Smith Centre
Course – 807.684.5113
Timmins*
South Cochrane Addiction Services
Tel: 705.264.5202
So there you have it – the full list of service providers of the Back On Track Remedial program in Ontario. If you live in a remote location, somehow you have to get to your appointments, on time and of course, you can’t drive there yourself.
You could save yourself the trouble of ever having an Impaired Charge by getting your own personal breathalyzer!
Impaired Driver Hits Police Car
A 26 year old woman of North York, Ontario escaped injury after the vehicle she was driving hit a police car occupied by two police officers in Oshawa during the early morning of August 28, 2010.
Maria Voltsinis rear ended the police cruiser in the area of William Street and Ritson Road. None of the police officers were injured in the accident.
The driver faces several charges including Impaired Driving, Careless Driving, and Operating A Vehicle While Exceeding Blood Alcohol Content of 0.08. Voltsinis now faces dui penalties that include a minimum $1,000.00 fine, a year of licence suspension, court costs, and significant insurance premiums as a result of the DUI charge. After getting her license reinstated upon successful completion of Ontario’s “Back On Track” remedial program, she will have to pay to have a Guardian ignition interlock installed in her vehicle and pay for the costs to lease and maintain it.
Maria might have known she should not drive if she owned and used her own personal breathalyzer.
Colorado DUI Penalties
Colorado has two different levels of impaired driving charges. The first is considered a drunk driving conviction where the blood alcohol content exceeds 0.08. The second and lesser charge is “Driving While Ability Impaired” and comes into effect when a driver has a blood alcohol content of 0.05 or higher.
For the first offense of drunk driving, the penalties include:
Jail from 5 days to 1 year. Jail may be suspended and the convicted person required to take an alcohol treatment program. The first offense fine ranges from a minimum of $600.00 to $1,000.00. Colorado will suspend your license for a minimum of 9 months upon your first drunk driving conviction.
Twelve demerit points will also be given to the driver who will also have to do community service time of from 48 to 96 hours.
The first offense of the lesser charge of “Driving While Ability Impaired,” (0.05 but less than 0.08 BAC), there is no license suspension however the convicted driver could face jail time between 48 hours and 180 days. Eight demerit points will be added to the driving record and public service of between 24 and 48 hours may be handed out in sentencing.
A second drunk driving offense within five years of the first one in Colorado carries the following penalties:
- Jail – From 90 Days to 1 Year
- Fine – From $1,000 to $1500
- License Suspension – 1 Year
- License Demerit Points – 12
- Public Service – From 60 to 120 Hour
If you live in Colorado, you could of course know your Blood Alcohol Content before you even decide to get behind the wheel if you have your own personal breathalyzer.
Posted in State Impaired Driving Laws | Tags: colorado dui, colorado dui penalties, colorado ignition interlock | No Comments »
California DUI And Penalties
If you are charged with a DUI in the State of California, you are facing a serious charge with serious penalties. In California, the legal limit of Blood Alcohol Concentration is 0.08. If caught exceeding that and convicted, the DUI penalty includes jail time of 96 hours to six months on your first offense.
In addition, you could be fined between $390 and $1000. Your license will be suspended for six months and upon reinstatement, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device in your vehicle. All vehicles that you drive must have an ignition interlock drive.
To inconvenience you even more, you will be required to complete California’s remedial program, “Driving Under The Influence Program.” California SR22 Insurance will be required for the restricted driver program.
On a second DUI conviction, California penalties get even tougher:
Jail time of 90 days to a year, a fine between $390 and $1000 and a 2 year drivers license suspension.
If you’ve managed to survive two convictions and are stupid enough to have a third, your license is suspended for three years and you will be designated as a “Habitual Offender.”
Of course, you could save yourself the charge in the first place by knowing your blood alcohol content in the first place with your own personal breathalyzer.
DUI – Nikolai Khabibulin Guilty
Previously, we reported that Edmonton Oilers’ goalie, Nikolai Khabibulin was charged with an “extreme DUI” in the State of Arizona.
On Friday, the judge in his case handed down a guilty verdict in three of the four counts the professional NHL player faced. Khabibulin apparently had a blood alcohol content of 0.164 and was traveling at a speed of 70 mph in a 45 mph zone when he was pulled over, driving his Ferrari.
The sentencing date for the goalie is unknown at this time but he faces a minimum of 30 days in jail.
More on Arizona DUI penalties.
Would Khabibulin still have driven if he had one of these?
Waiting For Back On Track Remedial Program
It’s been almost a week since I applied for Ontario’s “Back On Track” remedial program. I have heard nothing from them thus far. It’s a bit frustrating as I’d really like to get moving with it and do what I have to do in order to get my license reinstated in November.
I am going nuts almost, not being able to drive. Some days, I can handle it but then there are other days when I wish I could just jump into a car and run my own errands without having to rely on the schedules of others, or ask for help.
It’s now been over three months since the accident and the loss of my driving privileges. I can’t describe how this has affected my life and my ability to have control and independence over what I choose to do and where I choose to go.
All I can do is wait, and wait… and try to have some patience.