What Happens When You Get a DUI?

 

Driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances is one of the most severe types of vehicle violations resulting due to the number of accident related fatalities which occur from operation a moving vehicle under impaired conditions. So what happens when you get pulled over while you have been driving under the influence?
Police DUI Field Test:
If you are pulled over by a police officer and they have reason to suspect that you may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, a preliminary field test is conducted to determine if an individual is capable of operating their moving vehicle. Initially a law enforcement agent will conduct a "field sobriety test" which consists of testing coordination and possible impairment effects on the driver. This will typically require tests of balance, such as "walking the line", standing on one foot or walking and turning. Secondly the driver's comprehension ability is tested through simple tests of following directions. These can range from repeating one's alphabet using a range the officer selects to ensure simple repetition cannot prevail. Finally the vision ability of the driver may be tested to determine if they are capable enough to respond to changes in light effectively and avoid distraction from vision blurriness.
After the initial field sobriety test has been conducted it the officer will in most cases require the driver to submit to a breathalyzer test. This consists of having a person breathe deeply into a device which calculates a person's blood alcohol content or BAC. If a person is over 0.08% they will be arrested for a DUI.
Can I still get arrested if I'm under 0.08%?
Yes. The 0.08% is a threshold limit meaning that any breathalyzer over this amount results in an immediate arrest. Despite this, if an individual fails the preliminary field test and passes the breathalyzer they can still be arrested for driving impaired. Since alcohol can affect people of different body types and tolerances differently it is still possible to be legally impaired below the legal limit. In addition, any motorists under the age of 21 are unable to have any percentage of BAC while operating a motor vehicle.
What is the legal limit?
The legal blood alcohol content limit in most states is %0.08 which had been severely reduced since the 1980's during a push for stricter drinking and driving laws. Prior to the 80s the limit was between 0.10% and 0.15% however due to the number of fatalities this had to be regulated more heavily. For commercial drivers the limit is much lower at 0.04% in most states.
Can I refuse a breathalyzer?
Yes it is always possible to refuse submission of a breathalyzer test, however this is generally not a very good idea. Refusing this test is considered failure to comply with a law enforcement agent which will result in the driver's detention pending a further investigation. The motorist will be taken to the police station and booked followed by a blood test to determine what their blood alcohol content is. Although refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test is possible this should be avoided at all costs because it tends to still end in an arrest and a judge will have less sympathy for a defendant that fails to comply with law enforcement agents.
Can you post bail for a DUI?
Yes, DUI arrests are typically allowed to post bail after their booking however they will usually have to spend the night in sobriety holding. When posting a bail bond for DUI arrests it can be done directly to the courts for the full amount of the bail set which will typically be refunded after the trial's conclusion, or it can be processed through a bondsman which would result in a lower expense paid by the defendant however no refund will be provided with the lower bond amount.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Scarborough

Self-Defense Training - What's The Best Hand-To-Hand Close-Quarter Combat System?

 

Are you serious about learning effective, real-world and street-ready self-defense?
Maybe you've taken a few classes, or actually enrolled in a martial art or self-defense program.
Or, maybe you're like one of the countless students around the world who are going the "self-taught" route and learning from dvds, books, online video training, or even from articles just this one.
Regardless of how or where you train, if you've been doing your "homework," and trying to gather as much information about what it takes to actually be able to survive a real attack on the streets of today's often dangerous world, you probably have a few questions regarding the different approaches, programs, theories, or systems being offered both on and off the internet.
One of the most common questions that I get from students and prospective students who are serious about getting the most effective training they can find is...
"What do think about "XYZ" system or martial art?" Or, said another way... "Which martial art or close-quarter-combat self-defense system is the best?"
Now, they really don't ask about an art or system called "XYZ." I wrote that to act in place of any number of hand-to-hand and close quarter combat fighting systems. That means that you could replace my "XYZ" with an martial art, including:

• Ninjutsu or Ninpo-Taijutsu (the self-defense system of Japan's ancient Ninja families)
• Jujitsu
• Aikijujutsu (one of the unarmed combat arts of the Samurai)
• Tae kwon do
• etc.

It could also replace any number of self-defense systems like:

• Krav maga
• Systema
• EDR (Emotion-based Defensive Response)
• etc.

** Please note that, contrary to popular belief, MMA is not a self-defense system, but rather a "form" of competitive, sport fighting. Just like boxing, collegeate wrestling, or judo, I would never say that these pratitioners cannot defend themselves - only that what they practice, because of the rules, weight classes, etc., was not designed for street fighting and self-defense. **
I think you get the picture.
Either way... this article serves to answer that question in much the same way that I typically respond to it each time I hear it. And it is that... I believe that all training has its merits. The trick is to know what to use and what not to use from any given martial art or self-defense system.
That being said, I tend to avoid discussing any given system, but rather spend my time discussing the principles, concepts, and best practices that any good combat system should have for it to be useful for today's dangerous world. That way, you can gauge any system's value on your own by comparing it to the combat principles that I, and many other qualified experts, talk about.
Again, I believe that there are just as many skilled and successful practitioners who are experts in their own rights at different types of martial arts and self-defense systems, as there are different systems themselves.
Unfortunately, many beginner students (and even teachers) - those who really don't know what to look for - try to judge one system against another solely on techniques, skills, and what "looks" like it would be effective. I say "unfortunately," because there is much more to physical self-defense and combat than merely the physical, step-by-step techniques or so-call "karate kata" (empty-hand forms) - more than what you can "see."
To give you just a small example about these "invisible" secrets that you must be proficient with if you are going to rely on anything more than luck if you;re going to survive a severe, life-threatening attack from a determined attacker who wants to beat, break or kill you, I'll list a few of them here.
These include: strategic positioning, projection of your own intention (or not); picking up on your assailant's intention (before and during his attack); using his own emotions and strategy against him, assessing what type of fighter he is or training he may have simply by the way he moves; assessing his strengths and limitations based on the environment, the clothing he's wearing, his size and build, and so much more.
And don't forget that this also includes probably "the" single biggest factor in whether you can learn what you need to in "any" system. And that is the background, level of understanding, and real-world experience of the instructor - the person in who's hands you place your life, until you become an expert yourself!
So... as you can see by my description above... to truly gauge a system's validity, you need to know more than what the system's techniques "look like."
If you are one of the countless thousands who simply want to know, "which one is best," I know that this doesn't directly answer your question but, you see, I give the same kind of answer about the art of Ninjutsu - the art that I teach. I tell students and other all the time that I don't believe that Ninjutsu is the only "best" self-defense system out there. I DO however, believe that it gives the practitioner many more options than practically any other program or system that I have ever encountered. And, any combat-hardened veteran, or close-quarter combat and self-defense expert with real-world street self-defense experience will tell you... the number of choices and options you have, significantly increases your chances of being successful (read: "surviving") in any situation.
Even with the martial art of Ninjutsu, just as with almost any other, you still have the teacher's understanding and experience level, and other factors - including the ones that I discussed earlier - which determine whether what you are learning, is anything near what you'll need to be the survivor in a real-world attack.
Do you understand?

Effective self defense requires more than just a few "karate moves." It involves the ability to think strategically, and understand how to defend yourself with as little wear-and-tear on you as possible.
If you really want to know what most people don't know about how to master self defense and how to survive a real street attack, read my newest self defense book: "Fight Smarter - Not Harder!" It's available free at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/street-fighting-self-defense-book.html
Jeffrey M. Miller is an internationally-known self defense expert. Each month he teaches literally thousands of students through live seminars, corporate training events, and his online self defense courses, the lessons to be able to survive in Today's often dangerous world. Jeff says, "If you really want to learn the keys to effective close-quarter combat and effective street self-defense," and how to win against an attacker who is bigger, stronger, faster, or better skilled than you... then I can teach you what you need to know."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Miller

Self Defense: Cheap Stun Devices - Effective Non Lethal Defense

 

In the 10 plus years as a major distributor for self-defense products I have tried to figure out why more people don't have them as a primary tool for defending themselves against crime. The first thing that comes to mind is that they don't know about them. So we distributors do the best that we can to educate people on the benefits of having self-defense products.
The second thing that comes to mind is that people think they are expensive. And maybe they are thinking about taser products which can be on the pricey side. Taser guns are more effective than anything else-marginally. They are nearly 100% effective as opposed to pepper sprays and stun devices which are "only" 90% effective on average. But you pay a price for that extra 10%.
When it comes to female self-defense and personal security and personal safety, self-defense products are the primary nonlethal alternative to the deadly force of a handgun. They are an effective non-lethal defense.
Pepper sprays and stun devices can protect you by disabling an assailant for up to 45 minutes giving you time to escape a potentially dangerous situation and seek help. Women especially are the targets of violence in the vast majority of cases. They experience threats of everything from assaults on city streets to domestic violence in the home.
When we say cheap stun devices we recognize the word "cheap" has another connotation-one of being flimsy and chintzy. Here we mean inexpensive and we recognize that it is an arbitrary term. So we selected a price point of $20 which we thought most folks could afford for their self-defense.
There is a cheap stun device that is 7.8 million volts. It comes in both black and pink and is less than $20. It is only 4 inches tall and 2 inches wide. It has a heavy-duty rubber coating to make gripping easier. It has a safety switch to prevent accidental discharge. It is one of the most popular ones in the marketplace-maybe because of the price.
Another popular model, especially with women, is a Phone Stun Gun. It looks just like a cell phone but is a 3.5 million volt stun gun that is rechargeable and also has the safety switch. Women especially seem to like disguised self-defense products. Maybe that's why this one is so popular.
So don't let price or quality stop you from getting a "cheap" stun device. A $20 stun device can protect you just as well as a $60 stun gun.

We have ten Cheap Stun Devices for less than $20 and over 100 stun guns to choose from. One of them will be perfect for you.
The Home Security Superstore is one of the oldest and largest independent distributors of high quality home security, surveillance, spy, self-defense, survival and safety products. We carry a wide range of self-defense products including tasers, stun guns, pepper sprays and other nonlethal weapons that can save your life in the event of an attack.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Artman

What You Need to Learn About Pepper Spray Protection

 

Pepper spray is the most popular non lethal self-defense product of choice for both women and men. This is because a defense spray is convenient to carry, easy to use, and effective at stopping attackers. While it is legal in most areas, some state have restrictions how and where you may purchase it.
To get the full benefit of a personal defense spray, you should take a short course, if available, to learn the pros and cons, and to practice. You can find classes online or in your local yellow pages. Look up self-defense classes, martial arts trainers, park district programs, community programs, or public law enforcement classes.
You'll want to learn about the different types of pepper mace spray, pepper gel, and pepper foam, the pros and cons of each, how pepper spray works on an attacker, and how your surroundings and weather can affect how the spray works. You may even get the chance to be pepper sprayed yourself so you know what it feels like (not recommended unless you like choking, coughing and a burning sensation on your face), or to see what the effects are on someone who volunteers to be sprayed.
First, if you're threatened and you feel the need to use your spray, hold up your canister and make sure you know you're going to use it. Taking a stand and then not using it puts you in a very weak position. Your attacker will not take you seriously and will mug, attack, beat, rob or rape you as you try to back away. Hold it out in a defensive and determined manner, and shout at him. Do not let him see fear on your face, only anger and aggression.
Second, make sure you know how to release the safety lock so that you can use it. Some pepper spray devices have a safety flip-top you need to open, some have a plastic slide, and other larger models have a pin you need to pull out. After you purchase pepper spray, take a good look at it and familiarize yourself with its features.
Third, learn how to aim. You certainly don't want to spray the canister backwards, the results will be disastrous. Aim the canister directly at your attacker's face, if possible, and immediately spray. The spray canister will shoot out a stream or cloud of spray or foam, depending on your model. Wave it back and forth to cover the area around his face. Keep spraying and empty the can if you need to. Next, run for help.
The active and powerful ingredient, oleoresin capsicum, will work its magic for up to 45 minutes, leaving your attacker choking, coughing and teary-eyed.
Peace of mind and feelings of greater personal security will be yours once you know how to use pepper spray. Whether you buy pepper spray, pepper gel or pepper foam, your self defense product knowledge will be with you always.

Christine is the owner of Platinum Security Products "Home of the $4.99 Pepper Spray", offering non-lethal self-defense products and surveillance cameras for home, car, and business.
You can buy the strongest pepper spray available, discount pepper spray, best stun guns for women, small home safes, wireless home security, kubaton mini batons, affordable stun guns, personal emergency alarms, small hidden cameras, fighting/military DVD's, tasers and more.
"Be Safe, Be Ready" to defend what's yours.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Howatt

Self-Defense: Most Popular Self Defense Products - The Top Four

There are literally thousands of self-defense products on the market today from hundreds of different manufacturers. You can make the assumption that most products that are sold here in the United States are fairly good, but that is not always the case. Stick to the major manufacturers. And new companies are sprouting up all the time. They want to get in on the deluge of sales of self-defense items that are mostly being sold to women for their personal security and personal safety.
Female self-defense is a hot topic. There is absolutely no question that women are the targets of violence in the vast majority of cases. So manufacturers are designing their products to appeal to women. The most obvious way is with products that come in pink.
Here are the top four most popular self-defense products. They work very well for female self-defense but can be used by anyone who is interested in their own personal security and personal safety.
The first on the list is a pocket key chain whistle that sends out a powerful 120 dB alarm for as long as you hold the button. It is battery-operated and can work in a variety of situations but especially as a panic alarm.
The second most popular product is something that most people have heard about called a taser. A taser is a variety of stun device developed by Taser International some years ago. It sends out two electrified barbs up to 15 feet away that will disable an assailant. Tasers are used by over 17,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the country with more adding them every day. The reason is simple. They are the most effective nonlethal self-defense product in the world with a nearly 100% take down rate. The taser that we're talking about here is the C-2 taser that was developed specifically for women. It is smaller and less expensive than other tasers but just as effective.
And third on the list of popular self-defense products is a type of pepper spray that comes out in the form of a gel. That makes it hold up better in windy conditions and allows it to have a better range, up to 25 feet, more than any other pepper spray.
And fourth on the list is one of the most popular stun guns in the marketplace today. It is also one of the smallest at 3 inches tall. This Powerful Stun Device is 4.5 million volts which will disable any assailant long enough for you to get help and escape from a dangerous situation.
Those are the top four most popular self-defense products. They work very well for female self-defense but can be used by anyone who is interested in their own personal security and personal safety.

This type of Pepper Gel holds up better in windy conditions and has a 25 foot range.
Since 2005 Guardian Self-Defense & Security Products LLC has provided personal security to over 45,000 consumers. We offer a full-line of premium self-defense weapons such as pepper spray, stun guns, tasers, pepper mace, personal alarms and other self-defense items.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bryan_J_Buckner

Crime, Hot Temperatures, and Global Warming - Any Correlation?

 

Perhaps you've noticed this yourself if you live in a major city. At times when it is extremely hot out, there is more road rage, people are more irritant, and they run more stop signs. Interestingly enough, ask any police officer, and they will say that people do the darnedest and stupidest things when it gets extremely hot out. Okay so, this might be something that a global warming alarmist or climate scientists might wish to point out to get humans to stop polluting or adding to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
After all, we are entering a solar maximum, which will last about 10 years. This coupled with the so-called estimated increase in Earth's surface atmospheric ambient temperatures due to global warming could be yet another challenge for humanity if those temperatures continue to increase. Any of us that had watched Al Gore's docudrama horror movie, we know the purported potential eventualities of global warming.
Now then, there was an interesting article in Homeland Security News on July 16, 2012 titled; "Will rising temperatures lead to rising crime rates?" which stated;
"General Strain Theory has become one of the leading explanations for crime, and Emory University's Professor Robert Agnew, has become its chief architect; he argues that rising temperatures will lead to more strains - increased temperatures, heat waves, natural disasters, serious threats to livelihood (farming, herding, fishing), forced migrations on a massive scale, and social conflicts arising as nations and groups compete for increasingly scarce food, fresh water, and fuel - and more strains invariably lead to rising crime rates."
Sure all that makes sense, but let's hold short on blaming Global Warming Theory that mankind's CO2 is causing the rise in temperatures. In actuality, if the Earth's atmosphere did increase in temperature, there would be less polar ice, more vegetation, and therefore a greater abundance of life and proliferation of new species, and populations of those species around the globe. You see, warming periods are much better for life on earth, at least the kind of life we think about than ice ages or cooling periods.
However, it is true that human behavior, crime, and hot temperatures do have at least some correlation in observation and experience out here in the real world. Should this be something we might be concerned about? Well, if you are a city that has to afford expensive policing equipment and a police force, and pay those union wages, it is something that you should consider, especially if you are a fervor believer in the theory on global warming. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Policing Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Koh Samui Long Term Rental Guide, Thailand

 

Koh Samui is a tropical holiday island which lies in the Gulf of Thailand surrounded by idyllic white sands and warm, temperate, tropical seas. The largest island of the Angthong archipelago, which comprises of around sixty islands, Koh Samui is Thailand's second most visited island only after Phuket. A popular island for holiday-makers, Koh Samui also has a large ex-patriot population and is an increasingly popular destination for families taking a year out to sample a taste of Koh Samui's tropical lifestyle.
Long term rental options range from budget one to two bedroom bungalows to medium-budget two to three bedroom homes with shared or private pools through to the top-end of the market which offers luxurious three to five bedroom sea view pool villas. No matter what your budget, location plays a major role in rental rates with good bargains to be found a little further away from the island's popular northeastern coastline. Another good rule of thumb is the lower your budget, the more options you have available to you with high-end budget options often extremely difficult to find.
There is a huge choice of budget long-term rental options available on Koh Samui with basic, though adequate one to two bedroom bungalows available to rent from about $200 - $500 USD per month. These properties are usually part of a resort of several similar properties with more expensive options possibly offering a shared swimming pool. The most effective way to find some options is simply to choose an area and drive around all the side streets until you find something you like. As these properties have low rental rates, most real estate agencies and websites avoid listing them as any commission they make on these properties is not quite enough to cover the business costs and time to market them.
For those on a medium-budget of around $750 to $2,000 USD per month options would range from a 3-bedroom villa in a private garden (without pool) to a 3-bedroom pool villa near the beach or with good sea views. There are a good choice of properties within this range of rental rates and Samui's real estate and villa rental agencies should have a good choice of quality potions to offer clients.

The top-end of the long-term rentals market can mean rental rates from around 3,000 USD per month to more than 20,000 USD per month for those who can afford it. The lower end of this budget range could be a three or four bedroom pool villa near the beach or with nice sea views with the upper end procuring an idyllic five or six bedroom beach front property or panoramic view hilltop retreat. Finding a property in this rate range can be difficult as most luxury villa owners prefer more prosperous short-term holiday rentals clients to long-term guests. However, these properties are of much interest to real estate agencies based on the island and a quick Google search for Koh Samui long term rentals will bring up some contacts who should be able to assist you in your property search.
Renting a villa or home on Koh Samui doesn't have too many pitfalls though before signing a long-term contract you should check that there is going to be no construction next to your favored property during your rental. The rainy season may also bring problems as some properties may be located in an area prone to flooding or the property could face flooding problems from rain water flowing down from higher land during bad storms.

Bob Johnston is General Manager of Samui Holiday Villa Rental, your portal to holiday rentals and long-term rentals on Koh Samui.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Robert_Johnston