PUII (poo-ee) Pedaling Under the Influence of Intoxicants Carries Serious Consequences
Cycle-friendly Oregon leverages penalties and takes legal action against intoxicated summer cyclists
PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Driving under influence of intoxicants (DUII) is an offense committed when a driver operates a vehicle while impaired by the consumption of alcohol, drugs, or other intoxicants. In Oregon, as in the rest of the United States, drunk driving is the single largest cause of motor vehicle related fatalities. According to the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, almost 40 percent of all fatalities in traffic accidents are the result of driver impairment by drugs or alcohol.
According to the Oregon Department of Transportation Crash Analysis and Reporting Unit, over the last five years, 100 bicycle crashes involving alcohol were recorded in Oregon. Eighty-six of these resulted in injury and twelve were fatal, with five of these fatalities occurring in the last year alone. This increase in fatal accidents demonstrates the increasing importance of public awareness of this problem.
Pedaling Under the Influence has the same consequences as Driving Under the Influence, and a conviction carries with it the same fines and criminal charges as operating a traditional motorized vehicle. "But it's worse than that," Greenman says, "because the danger of serious physical injury is much greater for a cyclist than for a driver behind the wheel." In addition, impaired biking can be an indirect cause of serious calamity for other drivers who must take evasive action to avoid colliding with a drunken cyclist who could also end up crashing into a pedestrian.
Oregon is home to dozens of cyclist-friendly watering holes. A drive past one of these locations on a warm summer night demonstrates their incredible popularity with bike racks overflowing, and a cycling crowd that often spills onto the sidewalk. Good clean fun? Not always.
"I represent accident victims and also persons accused of a crime, so I see both sides of the equation," Greenman says. "And either way the risks are too great for drinking and biking to go together."
Attorney Adam Greenman, offers legal counsel to personal injury and criminal defense clients throughout Oregon. The former Deputy District Attorney, skillful trial lawyer and advocate is now in private practice. He utilizes his experience and determination to achieve justice for each individual client.
For more information, Adam Greenman, (503) 227-3800 weekdays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or 24/7: Mara Woloshin, 503.241.3834; [email protected].
SOURCE Adam Greenman, Attorney at Law
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