In the state of Ohio, 34 percent of their vehicle related fatalities were due to drunk driving in recent years. This accounts for nearly 400 deaths. Because of this statistic, localities all over are making a point to crack down on the number of people who decide to drink and drive. A person who is caught driving over the limit will be at the mercy of the courts and the laws that govern these cases. People should also know that a person pulled over and charged with this still has rights, and should retain the help of a DWI lawyer. 

If you are pulled over by a police officer and charged with a driving while impaired case, you should use this guide to know what you might expect. 

How do people get charged with DWI?

The main reason that people get charged with a DWI is when you are pulled over for erratic driving and then given a breathalyzer test. The breathalyzer machine will measure how much alcohol is found in your bloodstream. You must adhere to the test or face the prospect of getting your license taken or facing fines. 

According to Ohio law, you will be over the limit if your blood alcohol content is .08 percent or more. 

The Legal Aspect And Ramifications

The ramifications of being found guilty are great, because you can spend some serious time in jail for such an offense. Even if you're a first time offender, you will spend no less than 3 days in jail for such an offense. On the more extreme scale, if you have gotten subsequent driving while impaired convictions, you can spend up to 1 year in jail, which would also make the offense a felony. On top of this jail time, the fines for a driving while impaired case will reach up to $10,000 on multiple offenses. 

Your Course Of Action

The actions that you take following getting pulled over are incredibly important, because they can be the difference between your freedom and potentially being unfairly convicted. A lot of circumstances can call for a false DWI charge, including improper police procedure or failure of the breathalyzer machine. Either way, the course of action you need to take is make sure that you hire the best attorney that you can afford, to represent you in court. 

When you have a high quality DWI lawyer on your side, you will be in good hands when facing these charges.