Drinking &
Driving Rights in Santa Barbara
You have the right to drink and drive.
In Santa Barbara, as in every city in America, it is perfectly
legal for adults to drive after drinking, so long as they do not
drive impaired or with a BAC over 0.08%.
Unfortunately, your rights are under fire from different directions.
The various "DUI Exceptions" carved out of the Constitution over the years insure
that murder suspects have more rights than the citizen accused of
DUI. The mass collection of DUI fines has become much more lucrative
than determining whether a particular driver is truly guilty. Victims'
rights groups no longer target only drunk driving—they now
advocate prosecuting even the sober drinker who gets behind the
wheel after having a drink. And perhaps worst of all, incompetent lawyers perpetuate
the problem by recommending guilty pleas when they do not understand
the many defenses available to a DUI.
The result is that sober drivers are being prosecuted and convicted
right here in Santa Barbara, many with the full consent of their
lawyers. Law-abiding citizens are afraid to exercise their right
to drink and drive for fear that they will become another statistic.
Don't let it happen to you—know your rights and help educate
the True Believers wherever you find them.
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