What Are the Requirements for DUI Training?
Driving under the influence (DUI, sometimes driving while intoxicated, DWI) is a crime in every state. Each state has its own rules for how much alcohol must be consumed before a DUI citation will be issued. Drivers, police officers and DUI defense attorneys may attend a DUI training course relevant to each. The requirements for each course depend on the state, but most contain a victim awareness class for DUI offenders and methods for detecting intoxicated drivers for police.
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DUI Essentials
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Driving under the influence is a criminal offense because it puts the lives of other people at risk. Some prescription drugs, as well as alcohol and illegal narcotics, severely impair judgment, vision and hearing abilities if taken in large quantities. These substances may also impair a driver's functioning in small quantities. Intoxicated drivers have been the cause of fatal car accidents, killing motorcyclists and pedestrians.
DUI Offender Training
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DUI offenders may have licenses revoked after one offense depending on state regulations. Licenses can be reinstated after the suspension time period if a DUI training school course has been completed by the offender. Some states, such as California, require enrollment in a DUI school within a certain time period following a DUI conviction. Courses usually include a discussion of the effect of drugs and alcohol on the human body, review of state traffic laws and education on how to identify one's own alcohol and drug use patterns. Some courses may also include a personal counseling session or a psychological evaluation conducted by a trained therapist.
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Law Enforcement Training
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Law enforcement officers must obtain frequent, ongoing training in the arrest of DUI offenders. Many training courses rely on volunteers who consume alcohol to better train officers on what an intoxicated person is actually like. Officers practice asking drunk drivers to walk in straight lines, recite the alphabet backward and take breathalyzer tests. The course also trains police officers on the effects of alcohol and drugs on the body and how it affects people of different genders and weights.
Attorney Training
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Defense attorneys may take DUI training with a local lawyers association or the National College of DUI Defense. Attorneys are trained in how to defend a driver in a DUI conviction case, including updates on DUI legislation. Courses include effects of DUI enforcement, live alcohol workshop, defense strategies and legal limitations of the field sobriety test.
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