(ThyBlackMan.com) A DUI is rarely as simple as most people think it is. Thankfully, a lot of people never have to find out the specifics about DUI charges. This is primarily, of course, because most people don’t drink and drive. But that’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of people doing it. On the contrary, there are some very worrying statistics out there that prove that it’s a more common practice than you might think.
A few years ago, one in five surveyed college students admitted to drunk driving. These weren’t people who had ever been convicted or even arrested for driving under the influence. Some studies estimate that hundreds of thousands of Americans drink and drive every month. But the amount of successful DUI convictions across the country only constitutes a few thousand of arrests a year. I’ve 
never done it myself, but I have willingly got into a car with a driver I knew to be drunk. The amount of people who can make the same claim is probably higher than you think.
So it’s important to understand a little more about DUIs. It’s a complex thing; it’s why you have firms like Sohovich Law that specialize in DUIs. We’re going to take a quick look at the four things that affect a DUI charge the most.
Blood-alcohol content
If you’ve been hit with a DUI, it generally means you have a BAC level of 0.8. But if you have two or three times that amount, then things will be different. This is what the courts are going to refer to as an extremely high blood-alcohol concentration. Often, police officers can tell by just briefly observing these people that they are over the limit.
Basically, the higher your BAC level, the more impaired you become. This means that you’re putting the people around you in more danger. This, naturally, comes with stronger consequences.
Prior convictions
If you’ve ever been convicted of a DUI before, then you run the risk of facing even harsher penalties. This means that you can face a stronger charge even if this most recent instance sees a lower BAC level than instances that came before.
Repeat offenders are unlikely to be treated with much kindness by the law. However, you can still find some legal protection. You might have a strong case if you weren’t driving at a high speed or extremely drunk.
Who was in the car with you
When you get behind the wheel of a car, you become responsible for the safety of quite a few people. There are the people outside the car, of course. If your negligence causes the injury of another driver, then you are responsible. But there are also the passengers in your car to consider.
A lot of people think that others being in your car will only aggravate the charge if you get into an accident. This isn’t true. If you are found to be drinking under the influence while other people were in the vehicle, you may see harsher penalties. It means you placed people in direct risk of injury or death due to negligence.
Staff Writer; Ron Baker
