At the beginning of 2022, the law regarding DUI diversion changed. DUIs are no longer eligible for diversion in California. Please contact our office with any questions. Email us at abortellaw@gmail.com OR Call us at: (415) 523-7878

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Law Firm of Aaron Bortel

Bus Driver Charged With DUI


The Denver Post reports that a school bus driver from Adams 12 schools was charged with DUI, child abuse and reckless endangerment after an auto accident while on the job. Burton Carpenter, 57, drove kids from a football game when he sideswiped another vehicle as he pulled into a parking lot. He had 37 kids and four adults on the bus when the accident occurred. There were no injuries reported. Carpenter worked for the district since July 2012 and this is the first time an incident has occurred while he was driving. Mr. Carpenter does have a previous charge of assault from back in 1976.

What else can be done?

Numbers don’t lie. Educate yourself, others, and know what warning signs to look out for in your community. Consider the following:

• Mr. Carpenter was 57-years-old when he was charged with a DUI
• The average high school football game lasts anywhere from 1.5-3 hours
• The average salary of a school bus driver is $26,000 (source: indeed.com)

Also take into consideration the following statistics from a January 2012 CDC Vital Signs report:

• Age group that binge drinks most often: 65+ years
• By definition, binge drinking means men drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks within a short period of time or women drinking 4 or more drinks within a short period of time
• Income group that binge drinks the most often and drinks most per binge: less than $25,000
• Most alcohol-impaired drivers binge drink

How to prevent drunk driving

According to the CDC, the following three strategies include proven, effective methods for preventing drunk driving:

1. Sobriety checkpoints: At sobriety checkpoints drivers are stopped to assess their level of alcohol impairment. According to the Transportation Research Board, more widespread, frequent use of these checkpoints could save about 1,500 to 3,000 lives on the road each year.
2. Minimum legal drinking age laws: These laws prohibit selling alcohol to people under age 21 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Keeping 21 as the minimum legal drinking age helps keep young, inexperienced drivers from drinking and driving.
3. Ignition interlocks: These devices prevent drivers who were convicted of alcohol–impaired driving from operating their vehicles if they have been drinking. Interlocks are effective in reducing re–arrest rates from drinking and driving by about two–thirds while the device is on the vehicle.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p1004_drinking_driving.html

If you have been charged with DUI, contact a dedicated DUI lawyer today to get the help you need with your case.

After a number of years of defending people accused of crimes, I realized that to be the best DUI defense attorney possible, I needed to focus on just DUI defense and those accused of driving offenses and that’s what I’ve done for many years. My experience and knowledge has afforded me the opportunity to practice at the top of my field. Call the Law Firm of Aaron Bortel at (415) 523-7878 today.

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