South Carolina DUI Lawyers
Underage drinking on South Carolina college campuses is extremely common. Unfortunatly, in a lot of situations it ends in tragedy. Just recently, a gifted athlete attending college in South Carolina was found unresponsive in a dorm room after eating pizza and drinking alcoholic beverages.
The student allegedly choked on the food that he was eating, was transported to a local hospital, and died when the medical staff was unable to revive him. The county coroner confirmed that the student had been drinking, though he could not state definitively whether the drinking was the direct cause of the choking incident or the student’s death.
The college student’s mother released a statement saying “none of our children are immune to dangers” when sending them off to college. “The pain of losing a child is compounded by the fact that underage drinking was involved.”
The situation can become exponentially worse if the same underage individuals decide to get behind the wheel and start driving.
SC Has A Zero Tolerance Policy
Any person under the age of 21 who drives a motor vehicle after drinking alcohol faces a zero tolerance policy for drinking and driving.
It only takes a blood alcohol concentration of .02 to be charged with penalties for underage drinking and driving. Underage drivers will automatically have their license suspended for at least 3 months.
Consequences of Underage DUI
If you are under 21 and and your blood alcohol (BAC) is at least .02 and less than .08
- License (or permit) suspended or withheld for three months for a first offense; six months for a second offense within five years.
- License suspended for six months if chemical test is refused during a first offense; a one-year suspension if it’s the second offense within five years.
However, it is important for you to know that you are entitled toAdministrative Hearing to seek reinstatement of your driving privileges while your case is pending.
If you are over 21 and your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 or higher, you may be arrested for drunk driving and prosecuted under South Carolina’s Drunk Driving Laws.
By: South Carolina DUI Lawyer Pete Strom
