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.
According to a police report, an allegedly intoxicated driver crashed his car into a Taco Bell restaurant three times. Police reportedly needed to draw their weapons before the driver stopped his car.
The 19-year-old driver failed a field sobriety test at the scene and was arrested. He had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.142 percent at the time of his arrest, more than seven times higher than the legal BAC limit of 0.02 percent for underage drivers.
The driver was charged with underage DUI, alcohol possession by a minor, inappropriate lane change, hit and run, aggravated assault and criminal property damage.
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.