Page 130 - May 2018 - December 2018 Issue

What You Need to Know About
Drunk and Drugged Driving
By RJ Camano, Quality, Environment, Safety, and Health
Top Causes of Road Accidents
Did you know that among the top
causes of road accidents, alcohol and
drugs, place second with distracted
driving (i.e. drivers who use gadgets,
call or text, eat, read, talk, etc, while
behind the wheel) as the leading
cause of car accidents. Thus, the “Anti
Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of
2013” was enacted under the Republic
Act No. 10586, “An Act Penalizing
Persons Driving Under The Influence
Of Alcohol, Dangerous Drugs, and
Similar Substances, And For Other
Purposes”.
Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving
Act of 2013
Based on the rules and regulations,
an apprehended driver who is
suspected of driving under the
influence of alcohol will be subjected
to three field sobriety tests:
1. An eye test, which requires the
driver to follow with his gaze an
object that the law enforcer moves
horizontally, around one foot away
from the driver’s face;
2. A walk-and-turn test, which
requires the driver to walk nine steps
forward in a straight line, turn, then
walk back the same distance without
difficulty; and
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3. The one-leg stand, which requires
the driver to stand on one leg and
raise the other one around six inches
from the ground for about 60
seconds.
If the driver passes these tests, they
will only be apprehended for their
traffic violation. However, if the driver
fails any of the three tests, they will
then be subjected to an alcohol
breath analyzer test, which
determines the blood alcohol level of
the person by testing their breath.
For drivers of private vehicles that
weigh below 4,500kg, the allowed
limit is 0.05%. For drivers of
public-utility vehicles, trucks, buses
and motorcycles, the allowed limit is
0.0%. If the driver is found exceeding
the prescribed blood alcohol level,
they will be arrested while their
vehicle will be impounded. If the
driver is found to be within the
allowed limit, however, they will only
be apprehended for their traffic
violation.
In the case of drivers who are
suspected to be under the influence
of dangerous drugs or other illegal
substances, they will be brought to
the nearest police station and
subjected to a drug screening test “in
accordance with existing laws.”