California DUI Laws

California DUI laws were  very  different  20  years  ago.  It  was  not  unusual  to see

someone in court with 5, 6 or even 8 DUIs that was not sent to jail. But  California DUI laws have changed. Now, most drunk drivers go to jail. The second DUI already has a mandatory jail sentence. MADD tries to help, but drunk driver are increasing. As a result, California DUI laws have increased the penalties for even the first DUI.

Over 80% of drunk drivers in California get a second DUI. California DUI laws now include stiff fines, court costs and restitution. The solution is not easy to see for an alcoholic. That is, do not take the first drink, then there is no possibility for a DUI. Alcoholics do not understand that the first drink is the problem. Many believe they can drive better. That the laws do not apply to them. This is a disease of denial.

The solution is recovery. Treatment Programs, like Yellowstone Recovery, offer the important answers: how to get and STAY sober. California DUI laws will continue to increase in severity. Our jails and prisons are filled with alcoholics and drug addicts who felt compelled to drive. The obsession to drive is directly connected to drinking. A normal person who has a drink will have some caution about driving. Most often they will find a designated driver. An alcoholic will get behind the wheel. When he takes a drink the drink takes him.

The California DUI laws were designed to protect innocent drivers. Now, the courts charge drunk drivers with murder or attempted murder. While the courts may not recognize the disease, they do recognize the damage to innocent people. More often California courts are granting alternative sentencing to treatment. Typically, court orders are at least 6 months and require progress reports from the facility. We measure the first step of recovery at one year of sobriety. Most true alcoholics cannot stop drinking for a month, a week or even a day. This is where a program of recovery comes in. Treatment is critical for alcoholics. Rehabilitation is the answer. Recovery from alcohol is possible for all of us. Unlike other diseases alcoholism effects everyone the alcoholic comes in contact with even complete strangers.

This is a family disease, the family suffers most of all. The California DUI laws are designed to help ease the families pain. A family harmed by a drunk driver may want more severe penalties than California DUI laws provide. Particularly if a family member dies. Recovery from alcohol insures that we will never get a DUI again. That families of our victims will never suffer again. That California DUI laws will protect us from practicing alcoholics that ignore sobriety as a solution. The California DUI laws protect the community from drunk drivers. The California freeways are not a safe place anymore. More and more drunk drivers are arrested. They are filling jails and prisons that are already full.

At Folsom Prison over 500 men are waiting to be transferred to outside recovery centers. They are young and for many, the only charges were drinking or drug use. The problem is that California DUI laws do not teach them how to stay sober. They are simply confined. They must start a new journey, or they will return to incarceration. 80% of inmates return to jail or prison within one year. Treatment is designed to start them on a new journey: Recovery.

Many think the California DUI laws do not do enough. Imprisonment is only a stall. Some prisons however have their own substance abuse programs. These last from 3-6 months, as inmates learn how to qualify for outside programs. SASCA is a solution for drug addicts and alcoholics in prison who want to change they help inmates by providing a place to go and funding for up to 5 months. Only 20% of inmates return to jail or prison if they complete treatment.

Unfortunately, the programs of the California DUI laws will become more putative. In some states mandatory prison time is a requirement for drunk drivers. For example the penalty in Texas can be up to 10 years.

In California we have a solution: Treatment. It is known that alcohol ultimately turns everyone down the wrong path. This in turn will lead the alcoholic to jails, prisons or death. Every alcoholic or addict needs treatment. What keeps them away is the belief that their case is different. It is always exactly the same. Alcohol and/or drugs completely destroy their lives. We all want a sober community and the California DUI laws try to ensure this for all of us.

We can do something to protect our community. Insist that addicts and alcoholics get treatment before they hurt someone else.

For more information on treatment for someone you love call (949) 678-0761.