What Is Operating Under The Influence?
Most people think that operating under the influence means drinking and driving, but what they don't realize is that drugs have the same effect. Whether the drugs are prescribed or not it does not matter, you can still be fined for it.
Truck drivers with CDL license are required to be drug tested because they might have drugs in their system while driving. Now if an 18-wheeler truck got into a wreck, there would be some serious damage. That is why trucking companies do not want to take that risk.
Studies have showed that 15% of all interstate truck drivers had marijuana in their system, 12% had stimulants (non-prescription), 5% had prescription stimulants, 2% had cocaine, and less than 1% had alcohol in their system. Now that is an OUI.
In order to be considered driving over the legal limit, it is not necessary to be drunk. Although the regular BAC, or the blood alcohol concentration, is legal to 0.08%, for truck drivers it is reduced to 0.04%. This is because they operate larger vehicles and driver longer distances.
Most people falsely believe that driving while high on marijuana is not as dangerous as drunken driving. However, this drug also affects the concentration, reaction times and perception and that for up to 24 hours long, whereas alcohol only affects the mind for around 3 to 4 hours and that depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. In fact, marijuana has been the reason behind more than 12% of all fatal accidents involving trucks. That fact proves it is not safe to use marijuana and drive.
Truck drivers work long shifts and sometimes it is hard for them to stay awake. Therefore, they want to get something for it, such as meth or ice. It is very easy for truckers to get hold of those drugs at truck stops. Surveys show that 1 in 5 truckers use those hardcore drugs so they can stay awake.
Law enforcement watches truckers hard. They will not stand for any intoxicated drivers. They will pull a trucker over even if they suspect them. They have ways of testing to see if you are intoxicated. They have the breathalyzer test to see if you have been drinking, they have the field sobriety test, and they can even swab drug test you or search you.
The breathalyzer is a device that the driver blows into to see if they have been drinking and how much. The field sobriety exercises consist of nystagmus, walk and turn, standing on one leg, finger to nose, and the Romberg balance test. The nystagmus test is when the officer buts an object in front of the suspects face and moves it back and forth watching the suspect's eyes. The rest are self-explanatory. The officer can also have chemical test done which consist of blood or urine.
The swab drug test is a swab that they take from the saliva in your mouth. They test and if it comes back hot then that is an OUI.
To sum it all up, nobody should operate while under the influence and that especially goes for truck drivers. It is never safe to drink or do drugs when you are going to have to operate a vehicle. - 21396
Truck drivers with CDL license are required to be drug tested because they might have drugs in their system while driving. Now if an 18-wheeler truck got into a wreck, there would be some serious damage. That is why trucking companies do not want to take that risk.
Studies have showed that 15% of all interstate truck drivers had marijuana in their system, 12% had stimulants (non-prescription), 5% had prescription stimulants, 2% had cocaine, and less than 1% had alcohol in their system. Now that is an OUI.
In order to be considered driving over the legal limit, it is not necessary to be drunk. Although the regular BAC, or the blood alcohol concentration, is legal to 0.08%, for truck drivers it is reduced to 0.04%. This is because they operate larger vehicles and driver longer distances.
Most people falsely believe that driving while high on marijuana is not as dangerous as drunken driving. However, this drug also affects the concentration, reaction times and perception and that for up to 24 hours long, whereas alcohol only affects the mind for around 3 to 4 hours and that depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. In fact, marijuana has been the reason behind more than 12% of all fatal accidents involving trucks. That fact proves it is not safe to use marijuana and drive.
Truck drivers work long shifts and sometimes it is hard for them to stay awake. Therefore, they want to get something for it, such as meth or ice. It is very easy for truckers to get hold of those drugs at truck stops. Surveys show that 1 in 5 truckers use those hardcore drugs so they can stay awake.
Law enforcement watches truckers hard. They will not stand for any intoxicated drivers. They will pull a trucker over even if they suspect them. They have ways of testing to see if you are intoxicated. They have the breathalyzer test to see if you have been drinking, they have the field sobriety test, and they can even swab drug test you or search you.
The breathalyzer is a device that the driver blows into to see if they have been drinking and how much. The field sobriety exercises consist of nystagmus, walk and turn, standing on one leg, finger to nose, and the Romberg balance test. The nystagmus test is when the officer buts an object in front of the suspects face and moves it back and forth watching the suspect's eyes. The rest are self-explanatory. The officer can also have chemical test done which consist of blood or urine.
The swab drug test is a swab that they take from the saliva in your mouth. They test and if it comes back hot then that is an OUI.
To sum it all up, nobody should operate while under the influence and that especially goes for truck drivers. It is never safe to drink or do drugs when you are going to have to operate a vehicle. - 21396
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To read more good information about Maine DUI, try these blogs with posts on DUI laws in Maine.
posted by X - Men @ 2:57 AM
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