Under The Influence

Sporting a long list of DUI convictions, a California woman knew she shouldn’t drive after she and her man friend took drunk at dinner last weekend in Knoxville, so she did the next right thing and turned the keys over to the one person with them who hadn’t had anything to drink. So far, even though she is drunk, it appears that she made the correct decision. Well, that isn’t exactly how it played out.

According to an article published on the Knoxville television station WBIR-TV website, that responsible party was a thirteen year old boy. It appears that the plan failed when the car stalled in an intersection and the Knoxville police stopped to check it out. The boy was released to another family member and the woman was charged with two misdemeanor counts, one of child endangerment and the other of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. I guess, if you think about it, she did avoid another DUI conviction and a sentence of up to eleven months and twenty-nine days in jail.

Child Endangerment: Known as the Tennessee Drunk Driving Child Protection Act, there are added penalties for people who violate DUI laws when accompanied by a child under 18 years old.  There is a mandatory minimum jail sentence of 30 days, and a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000.  Both of these child-related penalties are added onto any other incarceration, penalty and fines.  If the child suffers serious bodily injury, the violation is a Class D felony, and if the child dies, it is a Class C felony of especially aggravated child endangerment.

As explained in the Tennessee Rules of The Road, driving involves multiple tasks, and the demands can change continually. To drive safely, you must maintain alertness, make decisions based on ever-changing information present in the environment and execute maneuvers based on these decisions. Drinking alcohol impairs a wide range of skills necessary for carrying out these tasks.  Fatal injuries, resulting from alcohol-related traffic crashes, represent a tremendous loss of human life.  In 2005, over 16,000 deaths nationwide (39 percent of all traffic fatalities) were alcohol related.  In Tennessee, 37 percent of all traffic fatalities (464 deaths) were alcohol-related. Examples are driving too fast, passing cars without enough clear distance and speeding around curves.  Showing off is another example of impaired judgment.

If you or a loved on is injured in a Nashville car accident by a driver under the influence of alcohol contact the Nashville car accident lawyers at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.