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Ignition interlock devices for any Virginia DUI conviction?
Posted on 2/27/2010

Police may soon ask “Where did you have your last drink?”
Posted on 2/27/2010

Virginia Beach Police Sergeant Arrested for DUI
Posted on 2/12/2010

Wrong-way Hampton Roads tunnel driver accused of DUI
Posted on 1/29/2010

Football Hall of Famer pleads guilty to Drunken Driving
Posted on 1/26/2010

Man accused in fatal crash faces DUI, manslaughter charges
Posted on 1/26/2010

Illegal immigrants accused of murder in Virginia Beach
Posted on 12/31/2009

Drunk driver injures woman in Virginia Beach accident
Posted on 12/31/2009

Drunk driver hits police cruiser in Virginia Beach
Posted on 12/29/2009

Man accused of killing two people in DUI crash allowed home for holidays
Posted on 12/29/2009

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DUI, Traffic and Criminal Law Defense

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The Federal Government’s Answer to Hard Core Drinking and Driving

If you’re wondering why Virginia and other states have been enacting stricter and stricter laws regarding drinking and driving, look no further than the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB maintains a list of “most wanted” transportation safety improvements at the federal and state level, and right now they are highlighting hard core drinking and driving as a major issue for states like Virginia to address.

The NTSB defines a “hard core drinking driver” as a repeat offender with a prior DWI arrest or conviction within the past 10 years, or an offender with a BAC of 0.15% or greater. The agency believes that these drivers are at an increased risk for causing crashes, injuries, and fatalities. All of their recommendations for changes to state laws involve further crackdowns on these so-called “hard core drinking drivers”.

How States Should Eliminate Hard Core Drinking and Driving

According to the NTSB, in 2005 hard core drinking drivers were involved in a minimum of 9,236 (54.7%) alcohol related fatalities, the estimated cost of which was over $9.1 billion. In order to reduce the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalites caused by these drivers, the Board would like to see states enact the following program elements:

  1. Statewide sobriety checkpoints
  2. Vehicle sanctions to restrict or separate hard core drinking drivers from their vehicles
  3. State and community cooperative programs to enforce DWI driver’s license suspension and revocation
  4. Legislation to require that DWI offenders maintain a zero BAC while operating a motor vehicle
  5. Legislation that defines a high BAC (0.15 percent or greater) as an “aggravated” DWI offense
  6. Alternatives to confinement, such as home detention with electronic monitoring
  7. Legislation that restricts the plea bargaining of a DWI offense to a lesser, non-alcohol-related offense
  8. Elimination of diversion programs that permit erasing, deferring, or otherwise purging the DWI offense record or that allow the offender to avoid license suspension
  9. Administrative license revocation (ALR) for BAC test failure and refusal
  10. A DWI record retention and DWI offense enhancement look-back period of at least 10 years
  11. Individualized sanction programs for hard core DWI offenders.

Aggressive moves by federal and state officials to increase penalties for drinking and driving related accidents means that you need to take your DUI charge seriously. We encourage you to speak with an experienced DUI attorney in order to ensure that you are treated fairly by the courts and that you aren’t unfairly punished as part of a crackdown campaign by a state looking to please the federal government.

If you need the assistance of a law firm skilled at DUI defense that will give your case the personal attention it deserves, please contact Weisberg & Zaleski immediately to find out how we can help you.

Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510

Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223


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