People in Ohio who are convicted of driving under the influence might face a number of penalties including losing a license. Laws about driving under the influence may vary from country to country and even state to state. In the United States, the blood alcohol legal limit is .08, but in some countries, such as China and Sweden, it is .02. In other countries there are zero-tolerance laws in place.
There are often lower limits for juvenile drivers and commercial drivers. Juvenile drivers will usually face additional charges for underage drinking while commercial drivers might lose their jobs and could even have their commercial licenses permanently revoked.
As long as a driver has not been involved in an accident or there are no other extenuating circumstances, a first-time drunk driving offense is usually treated as a misdemeanor. On subsequent offenses, fines and the possibility of jail time or having to install an interlock ignition device on the car rise. If the driver causes an accident that injures someone or if a person already has several DUI convictions, the charge could be a felony. People convicted of DUI felony charges may be required to pay restitution to the injured person, serve time in jail and lose their licenses for several years.
Even first-time drunk driving charges can have a serious impact on a person’s life. Losing a license, even for a short time, can make it difficult for a person to get to school or work. Furthermore, in some professions, a DUI could hurt a person’s career. A person who is facing DUI charges might want to talk to an attorney about options. If the person’s rights were not observed during the traffic stop, some evidence could be dismissed. An attorney might also call the accuracy of blood or Breathalyzer tests into question.
