Rick Springfield DUI arrest spotlights risk of drunken driving

Rick Springfield in Los Angeles on May 1, 2011.

/ David Livingston/Getty Images

(CBS) Rick Springfield got famous performing his 1981 hit "Jessie's Girl," but the 61-year-old singer reportedly didn't perform so well on a recent sobriety test - and was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

Springfield blew a 0.08 and a 0.10 on a breathalyzer after being pulled over by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Saturday night, gossip site TMZ reported.

The legal limit in California is 0.08.

Springfield's arrest spotlights the country's continuing problem with impaired driving.

In 2009, more than 1.4 million motorists were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, and 10,839 people were killed in car accidents in which alcohol played a role. That's a whopping one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What steps can individuals take to stay safe behind the wheel?

-Don't drive after drinking - designate a non-drinker when out with a group.

-If a friend tries to drive after drinking, take away his/her keys.

-If you've been drinking and no designated driver is available, get a ride home or call a taxi.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on impaired driving.

[DUIAtty]

Being arrested for suspicion of DUI is a very serious matter. In California, you have 10 days to contact DMV. Hopefully, This Capitan will hire a top notch qualified DUI Attorney to fight his cases. For more information, see http://dmv-dui-attorney.com/riverside-dui/

[effjay4]

.08 is never gonna stick. Those brethalyzers have a fluctuation of + -.01. his lawyer will plead it down to reckless driving. .08 is not drunk. Only to MADD it is.

[roblearns]

obviously the law was passed with .08 as the limit, because it has an impairment on driving.
Although the difference between being completely sober and .08 - is not so great a difference.

Larger variances can be seen just by looking at the skill set of completely sober drivers - not so easy to solve.

.08 is the law, the law is important. I think Rick has a serious issue to face - but I personally would never convict, zero chance of it. If I was on the jury, no way.

[lipstickLLC]

Getting a DUI in LA is an equal opportunity venue, as one third of its residents are doing community service, forced AA meetings, and having to: walk, ride the bus, or drive with an suspended drivers license! even worse, attractive females risk being sexually harrassed, and attacked by cops! who are known "womanizers" and big drinkers!After supporting the LA fundraising for the cops and the courts, for thousands of dollars, it now stays on ones record for ten years! Being a Celebrity is not a bonus in LA, as it a trophy for the cops and the media! Traffic tickets are much more affordable at about $500.00 Don"t have a car? try walking accross a busy street, and get a pedestrian ticket? It is no wonder that people in LA drink, as perhaps most of your friends are going to AA!