DUI Law In Texas
Reader’s Question:
Can you tell me about the DUI Law in Texas? I’m from California and likes to have a drink or two every now and then with my friends.
George
San Antonio TX
California exercises more tolerance when it comes to drinking while driving compared to the state of Texas. Although the same blood alcohol concentration applies, the similarity likely ends there. The DUI law Texas is different. In Texas, the state has a zero tolerance policy. That means, if you are under 21 years old, do not even have a drink if are driving. You will get arrested even if the BAC level is low. Under 21 drivers are not allowed to have any detectable amount of alcohol. Moreover, the DUI law Texas allows a police officer to stop you if he has enough reason to believe you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It’s good if you are of age because a trace of alcohol can be allowed so long as it does not reach the BAC level. But if you are underage, never mix drinking and driver. Texas believes that younger people have very low tolerance for alcohol, hence, the zero tolerance. Alcohol can impair the body’s reflexes and when this happens, accidents are likely to follow. The state would want to avoid incidents that could be avoided by not allowing drinking and driving to go together. In the past, many fatal accidents have been the result of teenage driving while under the influence. Those things can be avoided by making the laws tougher.
If you are stopped by an officer of the law and asked to undergo a breath or blood alcohol measurement test, do not even think of not complying or protesting. Under the DUI law Texas, a refusal automatically gets a 180-day suspension of the driver’s license. Remember, without a license, you cannot drive. If your insurance is up for renewal, you can’t also renew it because it’s suspended. Plus, a suspension may be taken negatively by insurers, which can result to higher rates.
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