DWI education is a type of traffic school that is often required by law after one receives a DWI violation. DWI is an acronym for driving while intoxicated; it is sometimes also referred to as DUI, or driving under the influence. Each means that one was driving with a blood alcohol level that was at or above the legal limit, and was issued a citation by a police officer. Legal limits vary in different areas, and it is important to know the law both to avoid getting a ticket, and to avoid endangering your life and the lives of everyone around you.
On one's first offense, DWI education may be required. In some cases, it may reduce the amount of the ticket or prevent points from being assessed to one's driver's license. In other cases, it may offer no penalty reduction, but still be required by law anyway. It is important to complete the DWI education class to avoid any additional penalties as well. Some classes may offer a brief exam at the end of the class in order to review the information that was covered.
Generally, the DWI education class will take place over a few hours, often on a Saturday. Information covered in the class will include the dangers of driving while intoxicated, potential legal penalties including jail time, and information about the number of accidents and fatalities that may take place every year due to drunk driving. Information about any local programs designed to prevent drunk driving may be included as well, such as taxi information or even services that offer rides for free, which are fairly common in university areas.
DWI education is intended to serve as a deterrent to future drunk driving, and will typically only be offered once. Anyone who is caught drunk driving a second time will generally not be offered the option of a class to reduce the ticket, and may immediately be arrested or have his or her driver's license suspended for six months to one year, among other legal penalties such as probation. DWI education may also be part of the curriculum in high school, as part of a driver's education class. It is important to educate young drivers about the dangers of driving while intoxicated, and doing so before anything happens is often a better method than waiting until after someone gets a ticket. Many schools offer programs for students intended to prevent kids from using alcohol and drugs.