As we all know, the legal blood alcohol limit for a driver is 0.08. That BAC level is uniform across the country. However, that is the law that applies to adults who don’t operate commercial vehicles. People who drive taxis, trucks, buses — they are subject to more stringent BAC laws. And younger people have even stricter laws applied to them too.
In the state of Colorado, if you are under the age of 21, your blood alcohol content can’t exceed 0.02 if you are driving. In essence, this means that if you even have one drink, you will likely be in violation of the law. People under the age of 21 aren’t allowed to drink anyway, so given that someone under 21 would have to break that law and then break another law — driving with an illegal BAC — it is understandable why the BAC for a young person is set so low.
Though not to excuse driving under the influence by younger people, there are two important things to remember about underage drinking and driving. The first is that these people are young and, as such, they are prone to rebellious behavior and poor decision-making. We’ve all been there. Again, this doesn’t excuse it, but it is important context. These young people may not even realize the ramifications of their colossal mistake.
Which brings us to the second point: DUIs are incredibly punishing. A young person may have his or her future ruined as a result of a DUI. The punishment may derail their college career or their professional career. No matter what age you are, if you are accused of a DUI, you need to defend yourself.
Source: DMV, “DUI & DWI in Colorado,” Accessed Dec. 2, 2015