You will see a large number of teens die every year, because of drunken driving accident. Further, you will notice that the rate of accident due to alcohol is higher between 16-20 ages than for adults of age 21 and more. This rate is generally higher for teens, because they are inexperienced with alcohol and also drive with less safety. This is the reason why the underage Driving under Influence (DUI) penalties are much stricter than of criminal ones.
It is advisable to hire an experienced DUI lawyer, if you are charged for this type of case. Also, there are many websites like sdduipros.org, which are specially designed for this purpose only.
Consequence – Refusing Alcohol Test
This is the very first mistake that every teenager does. Refusing going on with the test will result in loosing license for up to 3 years. This is because the laws of almost every state are based on the principle of ‘implied consent’.
It means that if you have a license for driving on roads and highways, then you give your consent for the alcohol test. Refusing for it may be treated as a sign of guilty. Also, the police can use other evidence like the smell of the breath in order to show teens under the influence.
Zero Tolerance Law
It is the special law, which is basically designed in the early 1980s, in order to reduce accidents, which happen because of alcohol consumption by teenagers. This law has two components:
- If a minor with limited percentage of alcohol caught driving, then he or she can be arrested immediately for a DUI.
- The minor’s license will be suspended directly from the license department if he arrested for DUI.
A court can also impose some other penalties in addition to these. In many states, minors are also arrested if Blood Alcohol Content is above 0.0 percent.
Consequences of DUI Convictions
Punishment for teens may vary from state to state. Also, the court can impose other charges, community services or fine. A person charged for a DUI can receive jail time or other penalties
If you are caught for the first time, then you will be sentenced to jail for up to 1 year. But if you are caught for more than once, then you will definitely get a jail sentence for longer period. Jail sentence can be of some days to many years, and it will depend on the severity of the case.
A court can also prevent you to undergo some alcohol or drug education classes or to undergo some alcohol treatment and continue the same for several months. Else, you also have to install ignition interlock device in your vehicle.
- Years in your license suspension
- Other Consequences
Minor charged for DUI must disclose this information on college form and also, before getting employed, in order to prevent future problems. In many states, you cannot proceed with your majors in education if you are charged for DUI.
Therefore, after reading this you have already understood that these cases will act as a roadblock in your education and career, so you should prevent doing all such things.
