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.
An 18-year-old Georgia driver was charged with underage DUI in an auto accident that seriously injured her 16-year-old passenger.
According to the police report the teens were returning from an Atlanta Braves game when the driver lost control of her truck. Speed appeared to be a contributing factor as the driver overcompensated when her rear tire left the road. The truck crossed two lanes before striking a tree on the passenger's side. The passenger suffered a fractured skull and broken pelvis.
The driver was arrested for underage DUI, failure to maintain lane and serious injury by motor vehicle, a felony.
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. Despite this, there are no age-related regulations for driving under the influence of drugs.
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.