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 are 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 to 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 an 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.