All 50 states prohibit those under 21 years of age to buy and possess alcohol and every state has a zero-tolerance policy for underage DUI offenses. These laws mean a driver with any amount of alcohol in their system, even less than the federal 0.08 percent for other drivers, can be prosecuted. In effect, even one drink can put an underage driver at risk of being arrested for DUI.
Part of the reasoning behind zero-tolerance laws is the statistics: almost one in three deaths for 15 to 20-year-olds are from motor vehicle accidents and of these, just over one-third are alcohol-related. This figure is about twice that of other accident fatalities for those over 21 years old.
These zero-tolerance laws have been successful according to a study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the first 12 states who passed zero-tolerance laws were found to have had a 20% decline in fatal single-car nighttime crashes with drivers under the age of 21 when compared with 12 other states without such laws.
An underage DUI is to be avoided at all costs, aside from the obvious threat to a young person's life. Having a DUI conviction on their record at so young age can significantly limit their future possibilities as far as landing a job they want or getting into the college of their dreams. Not to mention the negative impact a conviction will have on their car insurance coverage.
If you or a loved one was arrested for underage DUI, take action and call Attorney Jacqueline Goodman to begin a defense. We take criminal charges seriously and work to uphold our client's rights at all times. (714) 266-3945.