DWI Cases In North Carolina – From Legal Aspects To Community Prevention
As a DWI and substance abuse agency, our role is to educate both our clients and the community on how to prevent and treat DWI incidences. Here are 4 things everyone should know about DWI’s in North Carolina.
1. A DWI offense is a legal matter.
Driving while impaired is illegal. Violating North Carolina’s DWI laws is a serious offense. An offender can face time in jail, regular and commercial truck drivers license revocation, fines and court costs. Having an attorney who understands North Carolina’s rules and regulations makes it possible for people to get a better understanding of the charges against them when they get arrested for DWI. A good DWI attorney will also work with the offender to follow the law and stay out of trouble.
2. DWI’s can be prevented.
There are ways to prevent DWI’s from happening. Almost 90% of all drunk driving happens after drinking with family, friends, and coworkers. For the person drinking, calling a cab, getting a ride home or simply waiting until they are more sober are all ways to stay out of DWI trouble. For the co-worker, family member or bar tender, it’s a matter of taking the keys, offering a word of caution or refusing to serve anyone alcohol who is visibly impaired. For community organizations, interest groups and the media it becomes a matter of creating awareness of the dangers of driving while impaired. We all have to play active roles in keeping DWI offenders off the road.
3. The average age of DWI offenders in North Carolina is 21-34.
Behind every DWI arrest is a person. Almost half of all DWI arrests are young white working males who are not married. As we mentioned earlier almost all of drunk driving occurs after people drink with their family, friends or coworkers. Understanding this sheds some light on who we are talking about when we mention DWI offenders. We work with and live with them everyday.
4. DWI agencies play a key role in providing treatment to offenders to keep them from becoming repeat offenders.
A major problem in North Carolina with DWI cases is the number of repeat offenders. Most repeat offenders have had their license revoked, paid fees and even received treatment, yet they still break the law. Our role in the community effort to prevent DWI repeat offenders is to provide them with education and information to correct their behavior. Although we can’t force people to stop drinking and driving, we do our best to assess their level of need so we can recommend and provide the right course of treatment. In more severe cases, we can refer clients for more comprehensive help.
If you have been charged with a DWI in North Carolina, we are here to serve you.