Underage Drinking and Driving
New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest celebration nights of the year and underage drinking and driving can be a party crasher.
Dangerous night on the roads
New Year’s Eve is one of the more dangerous times of the year to be on the road mostly due to intoxicated individuals assuming they are still capable to drive when they’re not. Mixing drinking and driving with the current hazardous weather and road conditions could prove fatal for some this evening. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), drinking and driving kills over 10,000 people each year. Many of those fatalities are on holidays such as New Year’s Eve when there is a notable uptick of DUI instances.
Call a parent or a friend
Among those who may choose drinking and driving tonight are young Utah residents who are under the legal drinking age. Teens and young adults under the age of 21 who consume alcoholic beverages may be aware they shouldn’t get behind the wheel intoxicated, however calling a parent or other responsible adult may not seem like an option. While underage consumption of an alcoholic beverage is against the law and likely to result in a grounding sentence that seems like an eternity, drinking and driving will have harsher consequences, especially if an accident occurs.
Zero tolerance
Adults are legally able to drive in Utah as long as their blood alcohol level is below .08%. Utah however has a zero tolerance policy for teens and young adults under the age of 21 drinking and driving. There are more than 100 Utah police officers around the state on watch tonight for drunk drivers. If a driver under the age of 21 is found to be intoxicated behind the wheel they can lose their license, face jail time and incur harsh fines. Worse than jail and a fine, drinking and driving could result in the injury or death of the driver or another person. All individuals planning on drinking tonight are encouraged to obtain a designated driver, even if that ends up being an angry parent. For information about underage drinking and driving and other alcohol related charges call a juvenile defense attorney.
