1. How are socioeconomic status and substance abuse related to DUI's?
1.1. Studies have shown that socioecnomic status relates to likelyhood of substance abuse which would in turn relate to someones likely hood to recieve a DUI in both adults and adolescents. So we can use one to make a prediction for the other.
1.1.1. Source 6: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1747-597X-5-19.pdf
1.2. Socioeconomic status can also have an affect on the type of punishment one recieves for being charged with a DUI.
1.2.1. Unfortunately I do not need a resource for this either, my resource has been my life experience. My dad is a doctor and I have seen him time and time again get away with driving under the influence because of his status in the communtiy. This is amplified when you are a small town. Common sense should tell you that when one is led to believe they can get away with anything that it will just happen that much more often. This is one of the main problems with our country. It has become the norm to let people off of the hook because of their status or how many years they went to school, bith of which i believe to be a crock of shit.
2. How could we increase justice in regards to DUI's?
2.1. Stiffer penalties and making people aware of the statistics related to drunk driving fatalities is a start.
2.1.1. Source 7: http://www.safetyissues.com/site/transportation/stiffer_penalties_for_drunk_driving.html
2.2. We could also look at some other countries and adopt their attitude toward drinking and driving. Germany has some of the most strict laws on drinking and driving and a lot less incidents as compared to the United States.
2.2.1. Source 8: http://www.ehow.com/list_6530745_dui-laws-germany.html
3. What is a DUI?
3.1. DUI is an acronym for driving under the influnce and may also be referred to as DWI which is an acronym for driving while intoxicated. The definition of DUI is when a driver's ability to safely operate a vehicle is impaired by the affects of alcohol or drugs.
3.1.1. Source 1: http://dui.findlaw.com/dui-cases/defenses-to-drunk-driving.html
3.2. In most states a person will be considered to be impaired if they show objective signs of intoxication or if they have a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater.
3.2.1. Source 2: http://dui.findlaw.com/dui-charges/elements-of-a-dui-offense.html
4. What are the current consequences of recieving a DUI?
4.1. Upon initially being charged with a DUI a driver may recieve additional charges such as fines or jail time based on his or her level of intoxication.
4.2. After being charged the driver will more than likely be taken to a holding cell until he or she sobers up at which point he or she will have the option to post bail and if bail cannot be met the driver will remain in jail until the assigned court date.
4.3. Possible punishments include fines, alcohol or drug classes, community service, and license suspension. The higher the BAC the higher the fine or penalty.
4.3.1. Source 4: http://www.tn.gov/safety/duifacts.shtml
4.4. A BAC of .15 or higher could result in a jail sentence, and if the drunk driving inident resulted in a fatality a felony charge may be imposed.
4.4.1. Source 5: http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/basics/g/bac.htm
4.5. Although DUI laws vary from state to state the fore mentioned consequences are the general outline.
4.6. Source 3: http://www.duiconsequences.com/
5. Who are the primary people or groups involved (i.e., individual, family, friends) and what are their various roles?
5.1. Everyone is more or less impacted by DUI's, from inocent bystanders and pedestrians, to our employers, to our family and closest friends. No one is immune to the possible side effects of a DUI.
5.1.1. The Idividual:
5.1.2. The family and friends:
5.1.3. The Employer:
5.1.4. Innocent Bystanders and Pedestrians:
5.1.5. Unfortunately I did not have to use any resources to help me answer this question. In this country it is such a common occurence that all it took was a little common sense.