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HomeVehicle CodeDiv. 11Ch. 12Art. 2§ 23153 Dui Causing Bodily Injury

§ 23153 Dui Causing Bodily Injury

Vehicle Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 23153 Dui Causing Bodily Injury

This law makes it a crime to drive while drunk or high and, because of that, cause injury to someone else. It also says that if your blood alcohol is above a certain level, the law assumes you were drunk at the time of driving.

Key Takeaways

  • •You can be charged if you drive while drunk or on drugs and someone else gets hurt.
  • •If a chemical test shows a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher within three hours, the law presumes you were over the limit when you drove.
  • •The same rule applies to commercial vehicles and to drivers with passengers for hire, but the limit is lower (0.04%).
  • •It is not necessary to prove which exact traffic rule was broken; only that you neglected a driving duty and caused injury.

Example

A person drinks beer at a party, gets behind the wheel, and crashes into another car, hurting the other driver.

Because the driver was under the influence and the crash hurt someone else, the law says the driver broke the rule. The law also assumes the driver was over the legal alcohol limit if a test taken within three hours showed that level.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 23153 Dui Causing Bodily Injury

(a) It is unlawful for a person, while under the influence of any alcoholic beverage, to drive a vehicle and concurrently do any act forbidden by law, or neglect any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver. (b) It is unlawful for a person, while having 0.08 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood to drive a vehicle and concurrently do any act forbidden by law, or neglect any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver. In any prosecution under this subdivision, it is a rebuttable presumption that the person had 0.08 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood at the time of driving the vehicle if the person had 0.08 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood at the time of the performance of a chemical test within three hours after driving. (c) In proving the person neglected any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, it is not necessary to prove that any specific section of this code was violated. (d) It is unlawful for a person, while having 0.04 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood to drive a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Section 15210 and concurrently to do any act forbidden by law or neglect any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver. In a prosecution under this subdivision, it is a rebuttable presumption that the person had 0.04 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood at the time of driving the vehicle if the person had 0.04 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood at the time of performance of a chemical test within three hours after driving. (e) Commencing July 1, 2018, it shall be unlawful for a person, while having 0.04 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood to drive a motor vehicle when a passenger for hire is a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the offense, and concurrently to do any act forbidden by law or neglect any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver. For purposes of this subdivision, “passenger for hire” means a passenger for whom consideration is contributed or expected as a condition of carriage in the vehicle, whether directly or indirectly flowing to the owner, operator, agent, or any other person having an interest in the vehicle. In a prosecution under this subdivision, it is a rebuttable presumption that the person had 0.04 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood at the time of driving the vehicle if the person had 0.04 percent or more, by weight, of alcohol in his or her blood at the time of performance of a chemical test within three hours after driving. (f) It is unlawful for a person, while under the influence of any drug, to drive a vehicle and concurrently do any act forbidden by law, or neglect any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver. (g) It is unlawful for a person, while under the combined influence of any alcoholic beverage and drug, to drive a vehicle and concurrently do any act forbidden by law, or neglect any duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes bodily injury to any person other than the driver. (Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 765, Sec. 2. (AB 2687) Effective January 1, 2017.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Related Statutes

  • § 23152 Driving Under Alcohol Influence
  • § 23152.5 Impaired Driving Research Exception
  • § 23154 Dui Probation Alcohol Limit
  • § 23155 Cannabis Dui Conviction Reporting
  • § 23158 Blood Withdrawal For Alcohol Testing

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Vehicle Code. Section 23153.
View Official Source