According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2,597 people were killed in United States traffic accidents in December 2010. Of those, 775 deaths involved alcohol-impaired drivers. A 2006 study by the NHTSA estimated that there is one drunk driving fatality in the United States every 30 minutes.
Georgia's Driving Under the Influence Laws are complex. Georgia DUI injury attorney Shane Smith can sort through the intermingled laws that potentially create complications in a DUI case.
Georgia has a zero tolerance law for underage drinking and driving. Though the illegal blood alcohol content (BAC) for drivers over 21 years old is 0.08 percent, drivers under 21 can be charged with DUI with a BAC of 0.02 percent. Teen drivers can be charged with DUI in a minor accident if a chemical test indicates that they have a small amount of alcohol in their system.
Recently a 20-year-old University of Georgia student was arrested and charged with underage DUI when he attracted an officer's attention by staring into a patrol car while sitting at a red light at 1 a.m.
According to the police report, as the student passed the patrol car the officer noticed that the student was staring "intently" at his police cruiser. The officer made a U-turn to follow the driver and observed the driver clip a curb while making a turn. The officer then conducted a traffic stop.
The officer reportedly could smell alcohol on the driver's breath and the driver failed a field sobriety test. According to the police report the driver said he had one drink with dinner. Upon being transported to the police station the driver performed a breath test that registered a 0.03 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC). This is slightly above the state limit of 0.02 percent BAC for drivers under 21.
If you have questions about Georgia DUI laws, get the answers in Clayton County DUI injury attorney Shane Smith's book, I Was Hit By a Drunk Driver: What Do I Do Next? Contact Shane Smith Law to schedule a free legal consultation.