If you have exceeded the legal limit and are facing OIV fees anywhere in or around Franklin County, Ohio, contact Luftman, Heck & Associates 24/7. Call or text us at (614) 500-3836 to schedule a free consultation. We know it`s a confusing process, but LHA is here to help. If you`ve been arrested for drunk driving or OIV in Ohio, you might be confused about what blood alcohol concentration means. The first impaired driving laws across the country made it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher. Over the years, that number has dropped to 0.08 in most parts of the United States. It is illegal for drivers under the age of 21 to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.02 or higher. Essentially, Ohio is a zero-tolerance state for drivers under the age of 21. Although drinking is illegal in Ohio if you`re under 21, the legal limit for drivers under 21 is 0.02%. Compared to the 0.08 blood alcohol limit for adults, this is a minuscule amount, and a single drink can easily push an underage driver over the limit. Drunk driving claims thousands of lives each year, and states impose severe penalties on those who drive drunk.
Ohio`s legal blood alcohol level (BAC) is less than 0.08%. Anyone over the age of 21 with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher can be affected by driving or contracted with OVI. However, persons under the age of 21 can be charged with driving a vehicle after consumption of minors (OVUAC) for a blood alcohol level of only 0.02%. If your blood alcohol level is above the legal limit, you will be charged an OIV / DUI regardless of your age. The limit for people under 21 is 0.02, said Bath Community Police Chief Michael McNeely. Is it possible for someone to blow a 0.01 and still be charged? “The only safe driving limit is not to consume alcohol,” McNeely said. “If you want to drink, make sure you have a specific driver.” In Ohio, it is a crime to sell or provide alcohol to someone under the age of 21. This crime carries a maximum penalty of sixty days` imprisonment, a fine of $500 to $1,000, or both.
Please see the tables below for more information on Ohio`s legal limit and what it means for you. Ask? Call (614) 500-3836. If you have been charged with a DUI in Ohio, your legal rights and future may be at stake. With jail time, fines, and suspended driving privileges as some of the possible penalties, you may not know where to turn. The lower limit worries many who would give up drinking with friends or eating. Some argue that a person is not impaired if they are below the current limit. However, an NTSB report found that even at 0.05 drivers, they struggle with depth perception and other visual functions. Check out the table in the media section of this article to see what your limit is. And remember, how you feel also depends on your tolerance to alcohol, McNeely said. While it`s hard to predict the exact blood alcohol level, the Associated Press predicts that it only takes one drink for a 120-pound woman to reach the lower limit.
For a man weighing about 160 pounds, it would take two glasses. These predictions vary depending on food consumption and time, but show that a lower bound may resemble a zero-tolerance law. Anne Ralston, a spokeswoman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said the federal recommendation remains just that for now, and there is no pending legislation in Ohio to change the alcohol limit. The only thing that can lower your blood alcohol level is time. Your body needs time to process the alcohol you`ve consumed. No matter what else you do, the alcohol in your system takes time to pass through your body before being broken down and excreted through sweat or urine. If you have been charged with an alcoholic criminal, call Ohio DUI Attorney Peter J. Binning now for a free and confidential evaluation of the case.
Mr. Binning is highly qualified and eager to keep abreast of the latest developments in the defense of those accused of alcohol-related crimes. Call now! Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo. What do all these cities have in common? They are all located in Ohio and none of them tolerate driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In Ohio, there are two main laws prohibiting drunk driving: driving under the influence (OVI) and driving a vehicle after underage consumption (OVAUC). Drunk driving is never worth it, but if you`re facing an OVI fee, follow FindLaw as FindLaw guides you through Ohio OVI laws and penalties. Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a recommendation to lower the minimum blood alcohol level (BAC), at which a person is legally considered to be under the influence of alcohol, changing the definition of an intoxicated driver. The agency argued that the current blood alcohol level of 0.08 is too high and advocates a reduction to 0.05 to reduce the number of accidents.
Drinking alcohol before the age of 21 is illegal, and if you are convicted of an OVUAC, you may also face consumption fees for minors. This charge can include up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. These penalties are in addition to what you get for your OVUAC. A conviction for OV/DUI often includes driver`s license suspension, contact locking, mandatory alcohol assessment and treatment, fines, court fees, and jail time. A blood alcohol limit of 0.17 or higher will result in increased penalties. A charge or conviction for impaired driving can also affect your employment prospects. If you are charged with an impaired traffic violation, contact a criminal defense attorney in Ohio to learn more about your rights. Depending on the circumstances of the DWI, an offender may be granted limited driving privileges after serving a certain portion of the driver`s licence suspension period for limited purposes, such as on their way to work, school, a doctor`s appointment or court-ordered treatment. In most cases, the issuance of restricted driver`s licences requires the offender to use an ignition lock. Another scenario where a driver may be charged with a DUI with a blood alcohol level below 0.08 is if the driver has a commercial driver`s license. Ohio law sets a strict blood alcohol limit of 0.04 for people with CDL, such as truck drivers.
Your stomach will actually absorb some of the alcohol through the lining of your stomach, but that`s only a small percentage. A common risk for those who don`t understand how the body processes alcohol is the misconception that drinking water, coffee, or another substance will prevent them from getting intoxicated. It`s not true. The caffeine in coffee makes you more alert, but doesn`t reduce alcohol in your blood and therefore can`t make you sober enough to drive. By limiting the evidence or questioning the validity of the blood alcohol test results, you may be able to reduce or reject your OIV. Even if the trial continues or the case goes to court, your attorney can get a lenient result, protect your ability to drive, or help you move quickly so that a DUI in Ohio doesn`t hurt your future.