It is important for parents to understand the many risks that their children may face while behind the wheel, from slick roads to heavy traffic. However, their children may run into other problems, such as those who are pulled over for drunk driving. This can make a young driver’s life difficult for many reasons, leading to costly fines, a damaged reputation, problems related to college, emotional challenges and even time behind bars. Moreover, young drivers should be aware of how prevalent underage drunk driving is and be sure to handle a case appropriately in the event that they are stopped for DUI.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer teens have been driving drunk in comparison to the early 1990s. However, the CDC reports that an estimated one out of every 10 teens over age 16 in high school drives drunk. It is also important to note that while the legal limit for drivers over the age of 21 is .08, those under 21 are prohibited from driving after consuming any amount of alcohol. As a result, many young drivers who had a very small amount of alcohol in their system have been hit with DUI charges.
Because of these zero tolerance laws, many young drivers have had their lives completely upended. These laws can be especially difficult for young drivers who may be accused of driving drunk even though they did not drink any alcohol at all, such as those who used mouthwash or consumed certain foods while driving or right before getting behind the wheel.