The term DWI, which is short for driving while intoxicated, refers to the consumption of alcohol. More specifically it is if your blood alcohol content, or BAC, is tested to have levels over 0.08%. That amount is equal to two beers or less in one hour. That is the legal guideline that the majority of states use so that they continue to receive funding from the federal government.

There are times that people who are high on marijuana or other drugs also receive that charge. Most times though, those that have consumed drugs face DUI charges, or driving under the influence. That is actually the same charge people have to face who get caught driving after just sipping a beer, but who don’t reach the BAC of 0.08. Even though those are two different charges, they have the same fines, penalties, jail time, points and need the same amount of money to defend.

When those that drink socially are caught, the fact is that they are put in the same category as more serious problem drinkers. The social drinker who maybe has one drink or two, maybe twice a year, are always shocked to learn of this rule.

The old federal guidelines, which are not as strict, are still followed in a few states which make their extra money with sales tax from restaurants and bars where drinks are ordered.

Because many borderline drinkers will opt to stay at home rather than have drinks in a bar, the heavy drinkers still take their chances and have higher BACs, in most cases, since they are the ones that the new laws don’t deter or affect any more than they did before. Many people argue that the police are spending more resources and tax dollars going after the social drinkers and not deterring the heavy drinkers any more than they did before.

Most states have adopted the .08% BAC, and the lawyers can charge quite a bit of money to defend driving privileges. There are other expenses involved, such as SATOP, the mandatory safety program for drivers that drink, in order to get their license back from administrative suspension. The inconvenience of the automatic suspension that occurs before you are ever found GUILTY in court is additional expense and stays on your record for up to five years, in most states on your first offense.

If you are charged, then a good lawyer is something you must have. Although you used to be innocent until proven guilty, that no longer applies to DWI charges. Actually, just by refusing the breathalyzer test you will most likely lose your license for a year and if you are found guilty of DWI, then you can also receive up to six months jail time for the first offense and up to five years for your third conviction. Most drug dealers don’t even have to fear those kinds of harsh sentences.

This is the main reason it may be advisable to get an attorney if you find yourself in this position. A drink with dinner can turn your entire life upside down. In some cases, drug dealers have it easier than the occasional drinker, with the stricter laws that have been enacted due to public outcry. More accidents involve drivers that have impaired judgment due to drinking, which is the reason for the crackdown and more frequent issuance of DWI charges, besides the Federal tax dollar incentives for more arrests. If you find yourself charged with a DWI or DUI, you need to seek legal help to protect your rights.

Since I was a small child, I have had the importance of automotive maintenance drilled into my head. Now that I’ve reached adulthood, I appreciate the sound foundation I had in this discipline of critical importance. I cant imagine the time and money Ive saved and headaches Ive avoided. If you didnt have this background, and dont have a clue about how to maintain your car, dont despair. There are a number of simple car maintenance tasks that anyone can do even if you know nothing about how a car works.

–Wash your car often: While the exterior of your car isn’t as important as what’s under the hood it’s still necessary to take care of it. A clean car looks better, of course, but it also helps in a few practical areas. Keeping your windshield clean inside and out, obviously, is crucial for safety. Washing you car often keeps your headlights clean. And, of course, frequent washing helps prevent rust and corrosion extending the life of your vehicle.

–Wash the undercarriage of the car: This is particularly important if you live anywhere it snows. The salt, sand and chemicals that are used for ice and snow removal accumulate underneath your car and will rust out the body faster than anything else. Even in the coldest weather, its a good idea to wash your car at least once a week giving special attention to the wheel wells and undercarriage of your car.

–Clean your engine: Wash your engine, complete with soap and water, every time you wash your car. Not only will a clean engine run cooler, but washing it also cleans off crusty oil deposits, battery acid, and grime collected from the road. Let your engine run at idle to dry off before you start driving again. This is less of a problem with modern fuel injected cars, but still a good idea.

–Change and/or clean your air filter: Change your filter every time you change your oil filter. While it won’t kill you to change your filter less frequently, they’re so cheap and easy to replace there’s really no reason to put it off. In between changes, give the filter a good spray with a compressed air hose and blow out the filter chamber as well.

–Check and change your oil: Check the dipstick level every time you stop for gas, and don’t run your car without the appropriate amount of oil. An older vehicle may burn oil, but if you have a new car that is burning oil it needs to be checked out. Change your oil frequently”at least every 5,000 miles and better still, every 3,000 miles. Change your filter when you change the oil or youre going to be pumping clean oil through a dirty filter which defeats the purpose. Oil changes are a pretty easy job even for those without much of a mechanical background, and drive thru oil change businesses are ubiquitous in any decent sized market. Most of these places do a decent job and charge a reasonable fee. Many also take care of several other of the maintenance tasks on this list.

–Other fluids: Change your anti-freeze every year, and eyeball the coolant reservoir anytime youre under the hood to make sure that its full. Check the transmission, brake and power-steering fluids frequently, and top off when necessary.

–Check your air pressure and rotate your tires: Check your air pressure levels with a tire gauge at least once a week, keeping them filled to manufacturer specified levels. Also, don’t forget about the spare. Rotate your tires every few months to insure even wear. Some automotive chains will do this free of charge if you’re a regular customer, but even if you’re not it’s a lot easier for them to do with the car up on the rack than for you to do with a jack and jack stand. Simply checking the air pressure in your tires and rotating them periodically prevents countless problems and saves you a ton of money.

Emergency tools and equipment: Despite your best efforts to the contrary, things will eventually go wrong. When in does, youll be glad that you planned ahead. These items should be in your trunk at all times: tire gauge, pliers (slip-joint and needle nose), adjustable wrench, flat head and Phillips screwdriver. Dont buy cheap tools”theyll break and the least opportune times. Invest in Craftsman tools or another premium brand, and youll be set for life. Youll also need a flashlight, and if you live somewhere it snows its also a good idea to have salt, sand, a small shovel, and a blanket just in case you get snowbound and have to sleep in your car. A cellphone charger is also a good thing to have, since a cellphone doesn’t do much good if your batteries are dead. There are also ‘emergency’ cellphone chargers that don’t require a power source.

–Get an auto club membership: An auto club at a minimum should give you free towing, trip continuation insurance, lockout service, free maps, and some other bells and whistles. AAA is the best known, but there are countless others provided by credit card companies, cellphone providers, banks, etc. Shop around and find the best deal for the services you need. A growing number of car manufacturers also include lifetime roadside assistance, and not just luxury brands–Mini Cooper and Volkswagen offer new car buyers 24 hour roadside assistance free of charge. Also, ask about the size of their provider network. In a decent sized city you’ll be fine but if you live or frequently travel in less populated areas you might want to stick to AAA or another major company. There’s nothing more infuriating that learning that your auto club doesn’t have providers in Mesquite, Nevada or Vernal, Utah.

These tips require any real mechanical skill, but will enhance your driving experience. You’ll have a safer, better running vehicle that will be more dependable and cost you less money over the long haul.

When Canadians travel in their vehicles throughout the United States, they have to be aware of what happens if they receive a traffic violation ticket. Many people think that if they receive a traffic ticket, it will not affect their driving record in Canada. If you are cited for a traffic violation in the US, there will be consequences in Canada.

Canadian drivers use to drive throughout the US and not worry about receiving a traffic ticket. If they did, they would just ignore it because there were not any consequences. Now, US State Governments and Provincial Governments share information about drivers and their traffic violations when there is a reciprocal agreement between the Province, Territory, and State.

The agreement among Provinces and Territories known as The Canadian Driver License Compact was put into operation in 1990. All provinces participating in the agreement agreed to exchange traffic offence information. Each province and territory agreed that traffic violations committed by a driver would result in demerit points given to the drivers license of the drivers home province. Each province and territory agreed to transfer the drivers license information if that driver was driving in another province or territory. Over the years, articles have been attached to the Canadian Driver License Compact. One important article as it relates to the US states:

“Appendix 2: If a driver of a motor vehicle is convicted, pursuant to Section 249 (1) of the Canadian Criminal Code, that information is shared with the other Provinces, Territories and specific U.S. State”

Many states have agreements with Canadian provinces regarding the transfer of demerit points for traffic violations received in the United States. For instance, in Ontario:

“Section 40 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act allows the Minister of Transportation to enter into a reciprocal agreement with the government of any state of the United States providing for the sanctioning by the licensing jurisdiction of drivers from that jurisdiction who commit offences in the other jurisdiction.”

If, for example, a driver from Ontario receives a traffic ticket in a state where points would normally be assessed in Ontario and that state has an agreement signed with the Province of Ontario, points will be assessed against the Ontario license. Most states have such agreements with most Canadian provinces

In Quebec, the SAAQ states “that an equivalent traffic offense committed in another province or in an American state with which Qubec has a reciprocal agreement results in demerit points as if the offence occurred in Qubec.” Quebec has reciprocal agreements with such states as New York and Maine.

Demerit points placed on a drivers record stay there for two years after the date of conviction. The more demerit points that you have, the higher you insurance premiums will increase. There is no notice sent out when demerit points are taken off a persons drivers record.

Driving through the United States is a beautiful and fun experience. For Canadians, it is important for drivers to obey all traffic laws to avoid demerit points from being applied to their drivers license.

As in Canada, The United States traffic laws must be obeyed. Most traffic laws that Canadians tend to violate are speeding tickets and parking violations. When Canadians drive in the US, they should be aware of how the traffic ticket system works.

When it comes to speeding tickets, fines can vary because many states determine the amount of the fine based on how many miles per hour the driver was driving above the speed limit. The faster you are traveling, the higher the fine. Many US states have a higher maximum speed limit than in Canada. Many U.S. highways have a maximum speed limit of 65 mph and in some as high as 70 mph. When you sign a traffic violation ticket such as a speeding ticket, you are acknowledging that you are going to appear in court. If you do not appear at the scheduled court session time and return to Canada, you can be held in contempt of court. The court can then place a bench warrant for your arrest. If you ever re-enter that state where you have been alleged to have committed the traffic offence, you can be arrested.

The speeding ticket system is different in the US than in Canada. For instance, if you are driving in a state such as New York, and are stopped by a police officer, you will be issued what is known as a Uniform Traffic Ticket. This ticket will display the date of offense, time of offense, place of offense, as well as a description of the alleged violation. You must appear in the court where the alleged traffic violation occurred. You will then enter either a plea of guilty or not guilty. You must appear in person at your trial. If you plead guilty, the judge will assess your fine based on the type of traffic violation.

If you are driving a rental car and receive a traffic ticket such as a parking fine, the car rental agency will have to pay it, but they will charge the fine to your credit card. If you are driving your own car and receive a ticket, you may have demerit points placed against you drivers license, especially if the state and the province in which you live share an agreement. If you ignore any type of traffic violation, the state has the right to issue a warrant for your arrest. You can be arrested if you return to the United States.

When it comes to demerit points, nearly all insurance companies will increase insurance premium rates if a driver receives a major traffic violation that results in 4+ points. The best way for drivers to avoid demerit points from being applied to their record is to maintain a clean driving record in both Canada and the United States is to maintain a clean driving record when traveling within both Canada and the United States. It will also avoid any future criminal charges and an increase in auto insurance premiums.

There are many articles to read on the web, but driving articles are the most informative, at least when it comes to driving. They are filled with tips and tactics and how and why to drive certain ways. You can learn to be aggressive or defensive in your driving methods. Police make extensive use of aggressive and defensive techniques to deal with people who do not wish to be caught.

An average person will drive aggressively on the freeway when they need to exit an on ramp. Unfortunately these people tend to think they need to drive aggressively in school zones. Driving 66 mph in a 25 mph makes a lot of people very unhappy. Not to mention a lot of squirrels. After all driving that fast means you can’t stop in time if a child ruins out in front of you.

Even if you don’t hit anyone speeding is against the law. Many driving articles will offer you plenty of advice pertaining to a whole range of subjects. Many people know that you have to use common sense when driving on the road, but others feel that they don’t need to. People often show disregard for other drivers even when their children are in the car.

Insurance advice is also featured in many different articles. People are often overwhelmed by the number of insurance companies out there and need help choosing one that works. Getting insurance on your vehicle is required by law. If you get caught driving without insurance your license will be taken and your car impounded.

Driving articles also offer tips on what to do around trucks. Trucks are large, heavy, and powerful. They can’t stop like a car can, so don’t brake real hard in front of one. If you get hit by one there’s not going to be much left of your car or you for that matter. So give them the room they need.

Another thing that most people forget about is farm equipment. Farm vehicles are allowed on the road to travel between locations but they are slow. When you see heavy machinery on the road you will have to slow down. This isn’t anything to get upset about, they are just big and slow, and acting stupid around these things can get you killed.

Many of these online articles will teach you about using common sense when you drive. For example it’s never a good idea to try to pass while going over a hill that you can’t see over. Passing a school bus with the stop sign out is also a big no no. Most importantly always pull over for sirens, never stay in the middle of the road if fire or emergency crews need to get through.

Driving articles are great to read to catch up on all the latest info on how to drive safely. Don’t be rude and tailgate everyone you see, and please obey the speed limit. If you don’t and you get into a wreck and the police find out you will be in deep trouble. Remember to buckle up and always practice safe driving.