You’ve moved out of your parents’ house and into your college dorm. As you embrace your new life, you start to appreciate the freedom you have and the new friends you make in school. Life many students, you will go to parties with the people you’ve met and drink. But what happens when you decide to go for a drive after a few beers?
An underage DUI in your college years can affect your entire future. You may find difficulty in passing a background check for a job or housing. And your school may also have its own code with punishments for students. So when are you too drunk to drive?
All drivers have a legal BAC limit
When the police arrest drivers on suspicion of a DUI, they will perform a test to check the blood alcohol concentration, or BAC. For Florida residents 21 and older, the BAC can’t be any higher than 0.08%. For most people, one drink won’t push them over the limit. But any measurement over that amount can lead to charges of an assumed DUI.
The law has zero tolerance for underage drivers
However, for drivers under 21, the law is much stricter. Florida has a zero-tolerance law for underage residents, capping the limit at 0.02% BAC. For most drivers, this amount is less than a drink but can still lead to harsh DUI penalties.
Limiting evidence helps with a defense
If you find yourself arrested for a DUI, you should stay calm and quiet. Speaking too much or letting an officer know how much you’ve had to drink could give the prosecutor evidence against you. You may want to call an attorney as soon as you can to see if you can reduce the charges. If there is an error in police procedure or with the BAC tests, you can fight back against any possible penalties.
When you interact with your new college friends, you may not think anything of having a drink and going for a drive. But in Florida, one beer could lead you to a night in jail and the threat of a serious criminal charge.
