College birthday parties are a staple of student life, and being invited for one over the weekend can be the highlight of a long and tedious week on campus. Birthday parties are an opportunity to catch a much-needed break and catch up with friends from other departments who you haven’t seen all week.
While these events can be memorable, they can easily put you at risk of a DUI charge at the end of the night. So, if you don’t want a fun night to end on a sour note, it’s best to ditch your car keys when going to a party.
Zero-tolerance laws are stringent
Did you know that Virginia has a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol? If you’re 21 years or younger, this policy applies to you. According to this stringent law, you can be charged with a DUI offense for a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as low as 0.02%. To put this law into perspective, drivers over the age of 21 get charged with a DUI for a BAC of 0.08% or higher.
You’re more at risk of being charged with a DUI than an older driver who had the same number of drinks before hitting the road. Therefore, even if you’re a light drinker, you should leave your vehicle behind when attending a friend’s birthday party. You can use a rideshare service to get back home or sleep off the alcohol and use public transportation the next morning.
A DUI can cast a shadow on your academic and career prospects
Suppose your college has stringent regulations regarding students’ conduct. In that case, a DUI charge can have an impact on your academic standing. You may face disciplinary action for driving in a drunken state. The disciplinary committee may decide to suspend. This can significantly compromise the academic effort you’ve been putting in throughout the semester.
With all of this said, if you’ve already been arrested for a DUI, you can benefit from employing the services of a reliable legal team. They can help you fight the charges to help ensure a one-time mistake doesn’t cast a shadow on your future.
