DUI Blog

We all know the way a typical drinking and driving arrest goes: someone drinks, drives, is pulled over, faces license suspension, fines, jail time, and probation. However, what’s often not considered is the dangers of under age drinking and driving. This blog posts guides you through the laws, dangers, and problems with under age drinking and driving.

Zero Tolerance Law
Most all states have some kind of under age drinking and driving law in the books; many states call it the “zero tolerance” law. This means you can be charged with a DUI if you are drinking any amount and driving. Anyone under 21 cannot drink according to state laws. For example, if a college student of 18 years of age drinks one beer, drives, and is pulled over, he or she will be charged with a DUI. This means that no alcohol level is allowed. Most states use either .01% or .02% as the legal limit for under age drivers, which pretty much makes it so any drinking that occurs is illegal. Consider that the blood alcohol content limit for drivers in all 50 states is .08%. Why is it so much stricter for under age drinking? Everyone does it, right?

Dangers of Drinking and Driving
Put someone who’s been drinking behind the wheel of a car and you greatly increase the chances of an accident. Put someone under the legal drinking age behind a wheel after some drinking and you have even more chance of an accident and potentially a death. Studies have pointed out most drinking and driving arrests are individuals under 34 years of age, and that under age drivers are very commonly involved in accidents. Different states have different statistics, but drinking and driving is quite simply a leading cause of death.

Problem of Under Age Drinking and Driving
Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to under age drinking and driving. It’s been a major problem since younger adults started driving. The problem is that, though some drinking is very common, especially for those under 21, there are too many deaths involved to be ignored.

How to Defend a DUI
Defending an under age drinking and driving charge can be very problematic, but with the help of a DUI lawyer you can save valuable time and money, and also avoid stiff penalties. The problem is that in many states you will also be charged with a minor in possession or under the influence; since it’s illegal to be drinking under 21 at all, the penalties are designed to curb this. With the help of an experienced DUI lawyer, you can at the least lessen the penalties. This is never a happy time, but do not go through a criminal law hearing without proper representation.

Driving under the influence (DUI), the legal term most commonly used to describe the offense of drunk driving, has been attributed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of causing 15,387 of the 41,059 deaths by automobile accidents occurring  in 2007. The figure represents 37 percent of the total fatal traffic accidents throughout the United States.

The NHTSA says, “A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one driver  involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality.” In 2007, in the state of Pennsylvania, there were 556 deaths attributed to alcohol which represented 36% of the total that were considered traffic-related fatalities. Non-fatal DUI caused accident statistics are even more startling than the fatality statistics, and they include numerous disabling injuries that have occurred all across our land including places like Harrisburg, Lebanon, and Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

It is true what some say, it does not pay to drink and drive. With these startling statistics, is there any wonder states are cracking down on the people who drive while drinking? Across the nation, depending on the severity of the traffic violation and including the consideration of a fatality, convictions for drinking and driving can be considered a misdemeanor or a felony, and they can bring a multitude of harsh punishments. With a conviction, a person’s record could permanently brand him or her as a life time criminal. The record is often made public to employers and insurance companies.

Traffic laws have been made to protect the innocent because there usually is an innocent party in most traffic accidents. So, if you are facing a DUI related accident in Pennsylvania and have been hurt, disabled, or had a fatality of one of your family members as a result, and you feel like you are the innocent party involved, these types of accidents are too serious and complicated for the average layman to handle by themselves. You may need a legal professional to help advise you on what to do and how to protect yourself. Contact us and we will help you find an attorney in the area where you live that can help you face your DUI charge..

Driving under the influence (DUI), the legal term most commonly used to describe the offense of drunk driving, has been attributed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of causing 15,387 of the 41,059 deaths by automobile accidents occurring  in 2007. The figure represents 37 percent of the total fatal traffic accidents throughout the United States.

The NHTSA says, “A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one driver  involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality.” In 2007, in the state of Texas, there were 1,544 deaths attributed to alcohol which represented 45% of the total that were considered traffic-related fatalities. Non-fatal DUI caused accident statistics are even more startling than the fatality statistics, and they include numerous disabling injuries that have occurred all across our land including places like McAllen, Edinberg, and Mission, Texas.

It is true what some say, it does not pay to drink and drive. With these startling statistics, is there any wonder states are cracking down on the people who drive while drinking? Across the nation, depending on the severity of the traffic violation and including the consideration of a fatality, convictions for drinking and driving can be considered a misdemeanor or a felony, and they can bring a multitude of harsh punishments. With a conviction, a person’s record could permanently brand him or her as a life time criminal. The record is often made public to employers and insurance companies.

Traffic laws have been made to protect the innocent because there usually is an innocent party in most traffic accidents. So, if you are facing a DUI related accident in Texas and have been hurt, disabled, or had a fatality of one of your family members as a result, and you feel like you are the innocent party involved, these types of accidents are too serious and complicated for the average layman to handle by themselves. You will need a legal professional to help advise you on what to do and how to protect yourself. Contact us right now, and we will help you find an attorney in the area where you live that can help you deal with the charges you are facing.

It is illegal in most states for minors to be partaking of alcohol, marijuana, and other controlled substances, and to drive while doing so puts them in double jeopardy. Yet, teenagers are doing so at alarming regularity. Some studies show that 70 percent of teenagers drink alcohol, and 60 percent of all teen deaths in car accidents are alcohol-related. So, why do teenagers drink and then drive?

The answer varies, but I am sure the reason why most teenagers drink and then drive has not really changed all that much since I was a teenager some 45 years ago.

I can remember like it was just yesterday. I was home from my first semester in college, and I met my older brother in the bigger city at a nightclub some 30 miles from where I grew up. Many of our friends from our small hometown were there including Chris and Vance, who, like me, were underage. My brother was one of the few in our group who was of age.  Even in those days when we had no computer at home, we all had learned the art of faking our identification. Being 19, it was fun to be able to go to a nightclub, drink, dance, and meet new girls. After all, it was simply just socializing, something we had seen our parents do all our young lives.

Of course, the night must always come to an end, and just as sure as the sun was going to come up the next morning, we were still 30 miles from home. Having consumed more than the legal limit of alcohol, we each mounted our trusty vehicles and drove back home. My brother and I left a little earlier than our friends, something to do with the next morning. By the grace of God, I like to think, we made it back safely to our cozy beds our Mom had so lovingly made for us. Vance and Chris were not so lucky.

Driving a 1965 Ford Mustang, the cops estimated they were doing 105 mph when they hit the curve just four miles from their own safe and cozy bed. The curve was sharp and had multiple telephone poles sunk into the ground with a one inch steel cable passing through them acting as a guard rail. Four of the poles were no match for the mass of the Mustang’s steel as it tumbled and rolled, snapping the poles like breaking tooth picks. Both Chris and Vance, not wearing seat belts, were thrown from the vehicle.

Vance was killed instantly when he landed directly on his neck breaking it in multiple places, and Chris died in the hospital earlier that morning having lost his lower jaw, they later said, when the Mustang rolled over him. Was this just another case of a teenage alcohol related accident? Being a small town, there was never a need to publicly humiliate the parents by announcing the blood alcohol content of the boys, but my brother and I, who had partied the previous night with Chris and Vance,  knew the real truth. The local police never asked us about where we were that fatal night, but the memories still haunt me to this day.

We all have to get from one place to the next, and socializing is in our nature. Before you consider drinking and driving in New York, please know that regardless of whether or not you are a teenager, a first time DUI conviction can cost you up to a $1000 fine, up to one year in jail, a driver’s license suspension for six months, a mandatory conviction surcharge, being ordered for alcohol screening and evaluation prior to sentencing, and the knowledge a conviction goes on a permanent criminal record that is public information.

If you are a teenager or have a teenager that has recently been accused of a DUI in Albany, Schenectady, or Troy, New York, you are going to need professional help. Contact us right now and we will help you find a traffic attorney in your area who is not only understanding of the laws affecting teenage drunk driving, but they remember and understand what it was like when they were a teenager. They were once young, but they grew up, and now, they want to help you.

It is illegal in most states for minors to be partaking of alcohol, marijuana, and other controlled substances, and to drive while doing so puts them in double jeopardy. Yet, teenagers are doing so at alarming regularity. Some studies show that 70 percent of teenagers drink alcohol, and 60 percent of all teen deaths in car accidents are alcohol-related. So, why do teenagers drink and then drive?

The answer varies, but I am sure the reason why most teenagers drink and then drive has not really changed all that much since I was a teenager some 45 years ago.

We all have to get from one place to the next, and socializing is in our nature. Before you consider drinking and driving in Pennsylvania, please know that regardless of whether or not you are a teenager, a first time DUI conviction can cost you up to six months probation, six months in prison, up to a $5000 fine, and up to a year of your driver’s license suspended.

If you are a teenager or have a teenager that has recently been accused of a DUI in places like Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton, Pennsylvania, you are probably going to need professional help. Contact us right now at www.duiattorneyhome.com , and we will help you find the professional in your area who is not only understanding of the laws affecting teenage drunk driving, but they remember and understand what it was like when they were a teenager. They were once young, but they grew up, and now, they want to help you.

Driving under the influence (DUI), the legal term most commonly used to describe the offense of drunk driving, has been attributed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of causing 15,387 of the 41,059 deaths by automobile accidents occurring in 2007. The figure represents 37 percent of the total fatal traffic accidents throughout the United States. The NHTSA says, “A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one driver involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality.”

In 2007, in the state of California, there were 1,509 deaths attributed to alcohol which represented 36% of the total that were considered traffic-related fatalities. Non-fatal DUI caused accident statistics are even more startling than the fatality statistics, and they include numerous disabling injuries that have occurred all across our land including places like San Francisco, San Mateo, Oakland, and Marin, California.

It is true what some say, it does not pay to drink and drive. With these startling statistics, is there any wonder states are cracking down on the people who drive while drinking? Across the nation, depending on the severity of the traffic violation and including the consideration of a fatality, convictions for drinking and driving can be considered a misdemeanor or a felony, and they can bring a multitude of harsh punishments. With a conviction, a person’s record could permanently brand him or her as a life time criminal. The record is often made public to employers and insurance companies.

Traffic laws have been made to protect the innocent because there usually is an innocent party in most traffic accidents. So, if you are facing a DUI related accident in California and have been hurt, disabled, or had a fatality of one of your family members as a result, and you feel like you are the innocent party involved, these types of accidents are too serious and complicated for the average layman to handle by themselves. You may need a legal professional to help advise you on what to do and how to protect yourself. Contact us right now at DUIAttorneyHome.com, and we will help you find an attorney in the area where you live that can help you with your case.

It is illegal in most states for minors to be partaking of alcohol, marijuana, and other controlled substances, and to drive while doing so puts them in double jeopardy. Yet, teenagers are doing so at alarming regularity. Some studies show that 70 percent of teenagers drink alcohol, and 60 percent of all teen deaths in car accidents are alcohol-related. So, why do teenagers drink and then drive?

The answer varies, but I am sure the reason why most teenagers drink and then drive has not really changed all that much since I was a teenager some 45 years ago. I can remember like it was just yesterday. I was home from my first semester in college, and I met my older brother in the bigger city at a nightclub some 30 miles from where I grew up. Many of our friends from our small hometown were there including Chris and Vance, who, like me, were underage. My brother was one of the few in our group who was of age. Even in those days when we had no computer at home, we all had learned the art of faking our identification. Being 19, it was fun to be able to go to a nightclub, drink, dance, and meet new girls. After all, it was simply just socializing, something we had seen our parents do all our young lives.

Of course, the night must always come to an end, and just as sure as the sun was going to come up the next morning, we were still 30 miles from home. Having consumed more than the legal limit of alcohol, we each mounted our trusty vehicles and drove back home. My brother and I left a little earlier than our friends, something to do with the next morning. By the grace of God, I like to think, we made it back safely to our cozy beds our Mom had so lovingly made for us. Vance and Chris were not so lucky.

Driving a 1965 Ford Mustang, the cops estimated they were doing 105 mph when they hit the curve just four miles from their own safe and cozy bed. The curve was sharp and had multiple telephone poles sunk into the ground with a one inch steel cable passing through them acting as a guard rail. Four of the poles were no match for the mass of the Mustang’s steel as it tumbled and rolled, snapping the poles like breaking tooth picks. Both Chris and Vance, not wearing seat belts, were thrown from the vehicle. Vance was killed instantly when he landed directly on his neck breaking it in multiple places, and Chris died in the hospital earlier that morning having lost his lower jaw, they later said, when the Mustang rolled over him. Was this just another case of a teenage alcohol related accident? Being a small town, there was never a need to publicly humiliate the parents by announcing the blood alcohol content of the boys, but my brother and I, who had partied the previous night with Chris and Vance, knew the real truth. The local police never asked us about where we were that fatal night, but the memories still haunt me to this day.

We all have to get from one place to the next, and socializing is in our nature. Before you consider drinking and driving in Alabama, please know that regardless of whether or not you are a teenager, a first time DUI conviction can cost you up to one year in jail, up to a $2100 fine, and a license suspension for 90 days. On top of that, the conviction goes on your driving record permanently.

If you are a teenager or have a teenager that has recently been accused of a DUI in Mobile, Alabama, you are going to need professional help. Contact us right now at DUIAttorneyHome.com , and we will help you find the professional in your area who is not only understanding of the laws affecting teenage drunk driving, but they remember and understand what it was like when they were a teenager. They were once young, but they grew up, and now, they want to help you.

Driving under the influence (DUI), the legal term most commonly used to describe the offense of drunk driving, has been attributed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of causing 15,387 of the 41,059 deaths by automobile accidents occurring in 2007. The figure represents 37 percent of the total fatal traffic accidents throughout the United States.

The NHTSA says, “A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one driver involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality.”

In 2007, in the state of Ohio, there were 451 deaths attributed to alcohol which represented 37% of the total that were considered traffic-related fatalities. Non-fatal DUI caused accident statistics are even more startling than the fatality statistics, and they include numerous disabling injuries that have occurred all across our land including places like Youngstown and Warren, Ohio.

It is true what some say, it does not pay to drink and drive. With these startling statistics, is there any wonder states are cracking down on the people who drive while drinking? Across the nation, depending on the severity of the traffic violation and including the consideration of a fatality, convictions for drinking and driving can be considered a misdemeanor or a felony, and they can bring a multitude of harsh punishments. With a conviction, a person’s record could permanently brand him or her as a life time criminal. The record is often made public to employers and insurance companies.

Traffic laws have been made to protect the innocent because there usually is an innocent party in most traffic accidents. So, if you are facing a DUI related accident in Ohio and have been hurt, disabled, or had a fatality of one of your family members as a result, and you feel like you are the innocent party involved, these types of accidents are too serious and complicated for the average layman to handle by themselves. You will need a legal professional to help advise you on what to do and how to protect yourself. Contact us right now at DUIAttorneyHome.com, and we will help you find a DUI attorney in the area where you live that can help you defend yourself against a DUI charge.

Driving under the influence (DUI), the legal term most commonly used to describe the offense of drunk driving, has been attributed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of causing 15,387 of the 41,059 deaths by automobile accidents occurring in 2007. The figure represents 37 percent of the total fatal traffic accidents throughout the United States. The NHTSA says, “A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one driver involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality.” In 2007, in the state of (state), there were (number) deaths attributed to alcohol which represented (no.)% of the total that were considered traffic-related fatalities. Non-fatal DUI caused accident statistics are even more startling than the fatality statistics, and they include numerous disabling injuries that have occurred all across our land including places like Monmouth, Ocean City, and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

It is true what some say, it does not pay to drink and drive. With these startling statistics, is there any wonder states are cracking down on the people who drive while drinking? Across the nation, depending on the severity of the traffic violation and including the consideration of a fatality, convictions for drinking and driving can be considered a misdemeanor or a felony, and they can bring a multitude of harsh punishments. With a conviction, a person’s record could permanently brand him or her as a life time criminal. The record is often made public to employers and insurance companies.

Traffic laws have been made to protect the innocent because there usually is an innocent party in most traffic accidents. So, if you are facing a DUI related accident in (state) and have been hurt, disabled, or had a fatality of one of your family members as a result, and you feel like you are the innocent party involved, these types of accidents are too serious and complicated for the average layman to handle by themselves. You will need a legal professional to help advise you on what to do and how to protect yourself. Contact us right now at DUIAttorneyHome.com, and we will help you find an attorney in the area where you live that practices in DUI law.

It is illegal in most states for minors to be partaking of alcohol, marijuana, and other controlled substances, and to drive while doing so puts them in double jeopardy. Yet, teenagers are doing so at alarming regularity. Some studies show that 70 percent of teenagers drink alcohol, and 60 percent of all teen deaths in car accidents are alcohol-related. So, why do teenagers drink and then drive?

The answer varies, but I am sure the reason why most teenagers drink and then drive has not really changed all that much since I was a teenager some 45 years ago. I can remember like it was just yesterday. I was home from my first semester in college, and I met my older brother in the bigger city at a nightclub some 30 miles from where I grew up. Many of our friends from our small hometown were there including Chris and Vance, who, like me, were underage. My brother was one of the few in our group who was of age. Even in those days when we had no computer at home, we all had learned the art of faking our identification. Being 19, it was fun to be able to go to a nightclub, drink, dance, and meet new girls. After all, it was simply just socializing, something we had seen our parents do all our young lives. Of course, the night must always come to an end, and just as sure as the sun was going to come up the next morning, we were still 30 miles from home. Having consumed more than the legal limit of alcohol, we each mounted our trusty vehicles and drove back home. My brother and I left a little earlier than our friends, something to do with the next morning. By the grace of God, I like to think, we made it back safely to our cozy beds our Mom had so lovingly made for us. Vance and Chris were not so lucky. Driving a 1965 Ford Mustang, the cops estimated they were doing 105 mph when they hit the curve just four miles from their own safe and cozy bed. The curve was sharp and had multiple telephone poles sunk into the ground with a one inch steel cable passing through them acting as a guard rail. Four of the poles were no match for the mass of the Mustang’s steel as it tumbled and rolled, snapping the poles like breaking tooth picks. Both Chris and Vance, not wearing seat belts, were thrown from the vehicle. Vance was killed instantly when he landed directly on his neck breaking it in multiple places, and Chris died in the hospital earlier that morning having lost his lower jaw, they later said, when the Mustang rolled over him. Was this just another case of a teenage alcohol related accident? Being a small town, there was never a need to publicly humiliate the parents by announcing the blood alcohol content of the boys, but my brother and I, who had partied the previous night with Chris and Vance, knew the real truth. The local police never asked us about where we were that fatal night, but the memories still haunt me to this day.

We all have to get from one place to the next, and socializing is in our nature. Before you consider drinking and driving in Ohio, please know that regardless of whether or not you are a teenager, a first time DUI conviction can cost you an administrative license suspension of 90 days, a court-ordered suspension up to three years, up to 72 hours in jail, and up to a $1000 fine. On top of that, the conviction will go on your permanent driving record as public information.

If you are a teenager or have a teenager that has recently been accused of a DUI in Dayton, Ohio, you are going to need professional help. Contact us right now at DUIAttorneyHome.com , and we will help you find the professional in your area who is not only understanding of the laws affecting teenage drunk driving, but they remember and understand what it was like when they were a teenager. They were once young, but they grew up, and now, they want to help you.