DUI/DWI Terms and Definitions

DUI
DUI is driving under the influence; it is the offense of operating a motor vehicle in a physically or mentally impaired condition, especially after consuming alcohol or drugs. Generally, this is a lesser offense than driving while intoxicated.

Vehicular Homicide
Vehicular homicide is the killing of another person by one’s unlawful or negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

Excessive Drunkenness
A state of drunkenness in which a person is so far deprived of reason and understanding that he or she is incapable of understanding the character and consequences of an act.

Field Sobriety Tests
Field Sobriety Tests sometimes referred to by the acronym FSTs, are tests administered by the police to purportedly assess intoxication.

Child endangerment
Most states now have some kind of child endangerment statute. Currently, 27 states have statutes that create special sanctions for cases of driving under the influence while the offender is transporting a child at the time of the offense.

Legal State Limits
Laws for DWI and DUI vary from state-to-state. There is a chart listing state blood alcohol limits, license suspension, ignition interlock and forfeiture penalties.

Drunk driving penalties
penalties the court could impose are: (1) 6 months in the county jail: (2) $1,000 fine plus up to an additional 1,950 in penalty assessments; (3) 6 months driver's license suspension; (4) Your car impounded for 30 days. Second, third and fourth offenses within 7 years are punished by increasingly more harsh penalties.

Breathalyzer
Breathalyzer is the trademark (of National Draeger, Inc. which acquired the Breathalyzer division from Smith and Wesson) for the most commonly used breath-testing device in New Jersey. The Breathalyzer converts breath alcohol into a blood alcohol reading.

Controlled Substances
Health and other public concerns have generated detailed Federal and state regulation of the sale and possession of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and a wide range of other "controlled substances."

Drunk
Intoxication as we know it is not required for one to be guilty of drunk driving. Your condition may be enough for you to be found guilty of a drunk driving offense under the current definition of the law.