Minnesota Drivers Manual Chpt 7 8 Driver Education

Minnesota Driver’s Manual - Chpt 7 & 8 Driver Education Program LPHS 2010 -2011

Your Driving Privileges » Driving is a PRIVILIGE not a right » Your driving privileges can be taken away

Suspension » Your license can be suspended for » Repeated driving violation » Fail to stop for a school bus with it’s red lights flashing and the stop arm out » Failure to appear in court or pay fines » Failure to identify yourself to a police officer » Conviction of a Misdemeanor traffic violation in MN » Failure to pay child support » Violation of the “Not a Drop” law » Theft of gasoline

Revocation » Your license can be revoked for » » Refusing to take an alcohol test Conviction of driving more than 100 mph Fleeing a police officer Failure to stop, identify yourself, and/or render aid at a crash scene » Driving without insurance » Selling or possessing a controlled substance while operating a motor vehicle » Driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance or Driving While Intoxicated

Limited License » A limited license may be issued by the Department of Public Safety » Limited license allows you to drive only under certain conditions » Restrictions » To and From work » To and From chemical dependency treatment or counseling » To and From POST-SECONDARY school » Providing transportation to dependent children or family members for medical or education needs

Cancellation » Your license can be cancelled for » A mental or physical disability that makes you incapable of driving safely » Fail a test that is legally required by the Dept. of Public Safety » Providing FALSE information on your license application » Commit certain crimes

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol & Drugs » Minnesota Drivers Manual - Chapter 8

Alcohol & Drugs » Affect the driver’s mental and physical abilities » Impaired drivers are involved in more than 1/3 of the deaths on Minnesota roads each year » Impaired driving crashes kill 240 people every year and injure thousands more

Effects of Alcohol on Driving Skills » Judgment » Fail to wear seatbelts, misjudge stopping distances, drive too fast » Vision » Decrease range of eye movement, reduced peripheral vision, blurred vision » Reaction Time » Slower response to traffic signals, other drivers actions, pedestrians

Effects of Alcohol on Driving Skills » Steering » Tend to over-steer, causing weaving » Perception » Do notice sights and sounds » Coordination » Loss of balance and motor skills » Attention » Unable to focus attention on tasks of driving

Alcohol » 12 oz Beer, 5 oz glass of wine, 9 oz wine cooler, & 1. 5 oz hard liquor have the same amount of alcohol » This is NOT exact, things vary » Strong beer » Dark beer » Double shots

Effects of Alcohol » The effect of alcohol on the body varies by factors » » » Age Gender Body weight Mood Food intake Genetics

Lower Risk Choices » » » Designated Driver Call a cab Call a friend Stay overnight at a friend’s house Take away the keys if a friend is impaired

Minnesota DWI Law » A person who has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0. 08 or higher, who is in control of a moving or parked vehicle can be arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) » If a Peace Officer can prove that alcohol caused the driver to commit driving errors, the driver can be arrested for DWI at BAC levels as low as 0. 04

Implied Consent Law » When you apply for a driver’s license, you are agreeing to the Implied Consent Law » If a Peace Officer has probable cause to believe that a driver is impaired and in control of a motor vehicle, the driver is REQUIRED to submit to a test of Breath, Blood, or Urine

Implied Consent Law » Refusal to submit to this test is an ADDITIONAL crime » Applies to Boats, ATVs, Snowmobiles, Cars, Pickups » Refusal to test will result in the revocation of a driver’s license

Breath Test » On the road side, you will be asked to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests » You may also be asked to blow into an instrument called a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) » This is NOT the mandated breath test from the Implied Consent Law » This is just another field sobriety test used to determine if you should be arrested

Breath Test » This is a PBT

Breath Test » This is the state mandated breath test instrument

DWI Penalties » First Offense: » Min. 90 day Revocation » May drop to 30 days if person pleads guilty to DWI » No work permit (limited license) until 15 day revocation period has passed and ALL reinstatement requirements are met » 90 days jail and/or $1000 fine

DWI Penalties » Second Offense: » Min. 180 day revocation if 2 nd offense is within 10 years of 1 st offense » Work permit issued only after half of the revocation period has passed and all reinstatement requirements are met » One year in jail and/or $3000 fine » License plates are impounded

DWI Penalties » 3 rd Offense » Loss of license for 1 year » No work permit for a minimum of 1 year has passed » License is cancelled with DPS » Treatment and Rehab may be required » One year in jail and/or $3000 fine » Vehicle is forfeited and license plates seized » Jail or Max. bail with electronic home monitoring