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January 07, 2010
Drunk-Driving
             
 
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Welcome to South Carolina DUI Attorneys.com

 

 
Did You Know?    
 
 
Your operator’s license and/or operating privileges can be revoked under the Administrative License Revocation (ALR)
Depending on the state, this law authorizes law enforcement to immediately confiscate a driver’s license as a result of a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrest. Drivers, who are eligible, may receive a temporary license for 30 days. Drivers who refuse the test will be revoked for a one (1) year time period. Drivers who fail the test will be revoked for 90 days - for first offense, or for one (1) year for any subsequent offense within a 12 year time period.

 

Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, or "drunk driving," in South Carolina is by far the most commonly encountered offense in the courts today. In 2002, it is estimated that nearly 17,500 people were killed in automobile collisions involving alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this represents 41 percent of the 42,815 people killed in all traffic accidents and crashes that year.

 
South Carolina Drunk Driving BAC Related Deaths    
 
 
Motor Vehicle Fatalities Involving High Blood Alcohol Concentration in South Carolina
Total fatalities 1995 881
Fatalities involving high blood alcohol 229
Percent 26
Total fatalities 2000 1,065
Fatalities involving high blood alcohol 329
Percent 31

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Traffic Safety Facts 2000:
 

Defending against a charge of drunk driving in South Carolina is tricky business. A South Carolina DUI defense attorney needs to understand scientific and medical concepts, and must be able to question tough witnesses including scientists and police officers.

If you want to fight your drinking and driving charge in South Carolina, you're well advised to hire an attorney who specializes in these types of cases. They may be able to get you off the hook, or lessen the fine or punishment imposed.

The laws concerning "drunk driving" have changed radically over recent years. A person arrested today for driving under the influence of alcohol ("DUI", also referred to as "DWI" or driving while intoxicated) faces complicated criminal procedures and a potentially devastating punishment that can be more severe than a penalty handed down in a felony case.

An experienced attorney who specializes in blood alcohol analysis and drunk driving cases can effectively handle criminal and administrative proceedings. It is an unfortunate fact, however, that many general practitioners or general criminal attorneys attempt to represent clients with little or no training or experience in this very complex field and the results are disastrous.

Drunk Driving Punishments

The punishment in drunk driving cases is set forth by state statute and can be incredibly complex. The basic statute determines the range of possible sentences, with modifications for such things as:

  • Having a prior conviction within seven years
  • Speeding 20 mph over the limit
  • Having a child under 14 in the car
  • Having a blood alcohol content reading over .20%
  • Refusing to submit to chemical testing

Within the range, the actual sentence in a drunk driving case will be affected by:

  • The facts of the case
  • Any policies of the local court and prosecutors
  • The weaknesses in the case uncovered by the defense attorney
  • The reputation of that attorney
  • All of this is independent of a DMV suspension, which is determined separately and which can be very complicated.

Contact a DUI Lawyer in South Carolina now!

 
South Carolina Audio & Video    
 
  DUI Not Grounds for Deportation, High Court Rules
Audio, RM, 44 Kbps, 3:33, 11/9/2004

The Supreme Court rules that driving under the influence is not a crime of violence that can occasion deportation, finding unanimously that the law requires that the defendant showed intent to injure.
Source: National Public Radio
 
 
South Carolina External Sites    
 
 

US Congressman Henry Brown / South Carolina 1st Distric
“This Caucus will help return the issue of drunk driving to the national agenda. ... Congressman Brown represents the First District of South Carol
South Carolina - Youth DUI Reduction Project
SOUTH CAROLINA. Youth DUI Reduction Project ... Police Department, from 1995 to 1997, a total of 455 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests were m

 


  Newsroom  
 


News about DUI & Drunk Driving cases in South Carolina and nationwide:

AG Lynch Leads Effort To Strengthen RI's Drunk Driving Laws
 Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri signed legislation on Wednesday, July 5, 2006 eliminating a major loophole in the state's drunk driv...
Read more >


More DUI Drunk Driving News >

 
 

Drunk Driving Terms

 


Today's Terms

B.A.C.

Definition:
B.A.C. is an acronym for Blood Alcohol Concentration. The most definitive way to test for B.A.C. is to test blood. The most common testing method is to take samples of breath (most usually in New Jersey with a “Breathalyzer”). The alcohol in the breath is mathematically converted to a blood alcohol reading.

Alcoholism

Definition:
Alcoholism, also known as “alcohol dependence,” Includes four symptoms: Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink. Loss of control: The inability to limit one’s drinking on any given occasion. Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to “get high.”

Sleep Deprivation

Definition:
Drowsy driving is greatly under reported because there is no test for it, as there is for intoxication, no clear way to identify it, and many states don't even have a code for it on their vehicle accident reporting forms.

More DUI Attorneys.com Terms >

 

DUI/DWI Resources

 


Search Drunk Driving resources in our resource center:

More Resources >

 

DUI/DWI Hot Topics

 
Topics Related to DUI/DWI:

  • Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)
  • Breathalyzer Test
  • Failed Sobriety Test
  • Legal State BAC Limits

More DUI/DWI Topics >

South Carolina Drunk-Driving Attorney

 
If you live in the following cities and need legal help you should contact our Attorney as soon as possible:

  • Abbeville
  • Aiken
  • Anderson
  • Beaufort
  • Belton
  • Bennettsville
  • Bluffton
  • Camden
  • Charleston
  • Chester
  • Clemson
  • Clover
  • Columbia
  • Conway
  • Darlington
  • Dillon
  • Easley
  • Elgin
  • Florence
  • Fort Mill
  • Fountain Inn
  • Gaffney
  • Gaston
  • Georgetown
  • Goose Creek
  • Greenville
  • Greenwood
  • Greer
  • Hartsville
  • Hilton Head Island
  • Inman
  • Irmo
  • Ladson
  • Lancaster
  • Laurens
  • Lexington
  • Marion
  • Moncks Corner
  • Mount Pleasant
  • Murrells Inlet
  • Myrtle Beach
  • Newberry
  • North Augusta
  • North Charleston
  • Orangeburg
  • Pickens
  • Piedmont
  • Rock Hill
  • Seneca
  • Simpsonville
  • Spartanburg
  • Summerville
  • Sumter
  • Taylors
  • Travelers Rest
  • Union
  • Walterboro
  • West Columbia
  • York
  Need to find a DUI Lawyer Nationwide? Visit DrunkDrivingLawyers.com
 


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