Consequences of Underage Drinking and Driving

It happens but we do not condone it.  Most of us adults have experimented with drinking at an early age.   I grew up in a small New England town and there was not a lot for teenagers to do.  So we experimented with alcohol.  I am not saying it was right.  I am saying it happened and happens.

The Underage Drinking and Driving issue hit home recently when my under age cousin was pulled over and arrested for a DUI.  She said she only had a beer.  She is 18.  She sat in jail for over 6 hours because she  would not call her parents.  She called a friend.  Okay, jail is not a place you want to call your parents from for them to come and get you.

She was always told, as we all were, that drinking is illegal under the age of 21 and there are severe consequences.  I am sure that her parents thought the same as mine; maybe, hopefully the threat of severe consequences will deter her.  It didn’t and unfortunately she was caught.

Underage drinking and driving in the US is still a problem.  Yes, parents educate and discourage their children but ultimately when parents aren’t around, children (under the age of 21) experiment with alcohol.  Whether it is to see what they can get away with, peer pressure, trying to grow up faster or whatever the reason may be, roughly 5,000 teenagers die each year due to underage drinking.  This includes motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides, falls, burns, and drowning.  For further references, please see NIAAA’s publication Alcohol Alert No. 67, Underage Drinking.

Once a teenager is convicted of a DUI what are the penalties?  The penalties vary from state to state but some of the more common consequences are as follows:

     Loss of driving privileges for at least 6 months even if no car is involved

     A minimum fee if $500

     Disorderly person record

     Participation in alcohol treatment or rehabilitation program at the courts discretion

     Additional charges if a false id is used (a fine of not more than $300 or imprisonment for no more than 60 days)

     Possible injury or death (excessive consumption or traffic accident)

     If truancy is involved, a whole host of programs with parents

     With a prior record that indicates delinquency, there are a whole other set of headaches

     Possibility of probation

     Juvenile Court Hearing

    A stern talking to by the judge (an angry judge can be very intimidating).

In addition, the under age offender will have to carry SR22 Insurance for a minimum of three years.  It goes without saying that the punishment at home will carry another set of hurdles.  Not to mention that this may be on the child’s record permanently.  Seems like a lot to deal with at a young age, but if a child wants to exhibit adult behavior, adult consequences will follow.  As these cases vary just as State laws do, it is advisable to obtain an experienced attorney in Under age DUI cases.

As for my cousin her case is pending and my uncle can be pretty menacing.