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Know the penalties for Virginia DUI

On Behalf of | Mar 9, 2020 | Firm News

If your child is a college student, you likely have concerns about the dangers of drinking. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 24% of auto accident fatalities among drivers ages 15 to 20 occurred when the person had been drinking. 

When your teen or young adult comes home for spring break, have a conversation about the severe penalties for Virginia DUI to help discourage drinking and driving. He or she could receive expensive fines and license revocation even for a first offense. 

Implied consent laws 

Remind your student that when people drive on Virginia roads, they consent to a blood or breath test if requested by law enforcement. The legal blood alcohol content limit in the state is 0.08%. For drivers younger than 21, however, the legal limit for a DUI is 0.02%. In addition, an officer can make a DUI arrest without measuring BAC if the driver displays impairment. 

Penalties for first-time DUI 

The mandatory minimum penalties for a convicted DUI offender with no prior DUIs include 12-month revocation of driver’s license and a $250 fine. After the license suspension, the driver must install an ignition interlock device on his or her vehicle at personal expense. 

In addition, drivers who have an excessively high BAC at the time of arrest will get at least five days in jail for a measurement of 0.15% to 0.20% and at least 10 days in jail for a measurement higher than 0.20%. What’s more, a second DUI within five years will result in at least one year in jail if the person receives a conviction. 

Zero tolerance DUI penalties 

A driver younger than age 21 who gets a DUI with BAC between 0.02% and 0.07% percent is also subject to a one-year license suspension. In addition, the law doubles the minimum fine to $500 or requires 50 hours of community service. Underage drivers with BAC above 0.08% at the time of arrest receive the same penalties as for an adult DUI. 

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