In October 2018, the YouTube channel Try Guys published two videos: one of them driving while high, and one of them driving while drunk. They tested their inebriated driving abilities on a closed course. The purpose of these videos was to specifically check how both driving drunk and driving while high affected the driver’s senses, reaction time and confidence.

The tests were set up as such: First, the drivers maneuvered through the course completely sober. The course is full of normal obstacles you may find on the road every day, such as stop signs, lane closures and hairpin turns.

They looked at two initial variables: how long it took to complete the course, and how many cones were knocked over. These tests were the control for the experiment.

Then, the drivers became legally inebriated (drinking to at least a 0.08 blood alcohol content for one video, and smoking enough marijuana to feel “stoned” in the other), and drove the course again.… Read More

FAST FACTS

• 1.8% of the people in Pennsylvania report driving after believing they’ve had too much to drink.
• Between 2003 and 2012, 4,663 people were killed in drunk driving accidents across the state.
• The rate of death for people between the ages of 21 and 34 is higher than the national average.

You have gone out on the town, whether it was to a friend’s house or the local bar, and you are on your way home. You see signs and flashing lights and wonder what in the world could be going on. As you get closer, your stomach drops and you begin looking for any opportunity to turn around. You’ve run smack into a DUI checkpoint. What are your options?

Many people believe that they are required to move through the checkpoint simply because it is in place. The truth is that you are not legally required to travel through the checkpoint.… Read More

FAST FACTS

• There were $2.75 billion in recreational cannabis retail sales in 2017.
• It is estimated that by 2021, those same sales will top $8 billion.
• Recreational marijuana use is illegal in Pennsylvania.

When the fight to legalize marijuana began, some pictured people getting high on street corners and running rampant through neighborhoods. Others pictured sitting in on their decks, finally being able to do what they had already been doing without the worry of arrest.

There were attitudes and feelings everywhere in between. Many didn’t think beyond smoking the drug and the problems it may or may not cause. Few considered the trend that is taking hold now: Cannabis beverages.

Sales of soda/pop/Coke (depending on the region you live in) are down to the lowest point they’ve seen in three decades. People are forgetting the soda and grabbing what they perceive to be healthier drinks instead.

Coconut water and Kambucha tea are hot right now and in some states, cannabis beverages are hitting the shelves.… Read More

FAST FACTS

• 39% of traffic deaths in Pennsylvania involve at least one impaired driver.
• 1,825 college students die each year as a result of drinking and driving.
• More than 3 million college students report having driven under the influence of alcohol.

When you go to college, you’re going to spend your days attending classes and hitting the books. You may even work part- or full-time while you attend school. College can be a stressful time, and you’re sure to be under pressure.

One way you may choose to relieve your stress is to hit the town or go to a party with friends. Unfortunately, many young adults make poor choices when it comes to drinking and driving. If you’re someone who enjoys a drink, be careful — here’s how a DUI in Pennsylvania can ruin your college career.

The Immediate Consequences of a DUI

Being arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol has immediate consequences.… Read More

It is stressful when you are forced to deal with the unknown. Being charged with DUI for the first time means that you will be facing several unknowns. You not only have to deal with the anxiety of being charged with a crime, but the upcoming court process. While a DUI is certainly a serious charge, it may help to ease your fears by knowing what you are about to go through.

The court process for anyone charged with a DUI in Pennsylvania follows a typical set of steps. Your path may differ from the norm, of course, but there are certain things you can reasonably expect to happen.

1. Charges

The very first thing to happen is the traffic stop. You may have already gone through this or know someone who has. A police officer pulls you over, you are asked to submit to a set of tests and placed under arrest.… Read More