Will A High Blood Alcohol Concentration Impact My DUI Charges in Oklahoma?
Tulsa, OK- Having one drink and having several drinks makes a big difference when it comes to DUI charges. In Oklahoma like most states, a person’s level of intoxication also referred to as blood alcohol concentration will have an impact on their charges and the penalties associated with a DUI conviction. That is what we will discuss here.
Firstly, USAttorneys wants to discuss blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and what it means exactly. The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) describes BAC as: “The amount of alcohol in a person’s body is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood.”
When a person drinks, the alcohol they are consuming is absorbed by the blood stream and the more drinks they have, the more intoxicated they become. Each person has a different metabolism, so who much alcohol a person needs to consume to reach or surpass the legal driving limit, which is 0.08 percent in Oklahoma. It’s up to an individual to learn their limits and be aware of when they are too intoxicated to drive.
DUI laws in Oklahoma are a bit complicated since they rely on a three-tiered system to determine the seriousness of your charges. According to the NHTSA, a motorist with a BAC between 0.06 and 0.07 will be able to plea down their charges to reckless driving. A person with a BAC between 0.08 and 0.014 face routine DUI charges, depending on the circumstances of the individual’s arrest. If a motorist BAC exceeds 0.15, they can be accused of aggravated DUI and face tougher penalties.
If you are convicted of first DUI, your driver’s license will be suspended for 30 days, and you could spend ten days up to a year in jail. You will also face up to $1,000 fine. A DUI conviction will also remain on your record for up to ten years.
Matters get worse if you are charged with an aggravated DUI because of a high BAC since you not only face the penalties listed above, you will also be required to install an ignition interlock device in your car. Plus, you may also be asked to attend a 28-day alcohol rehabilitation program and attend up to 480 hours of aftercare.
Your legal consequences will be even worse if you are charged with a second DUI in that 10-year lookback period. A second DUI charge is considered a felony and comes with much harsher consequences including one to five years in jail and a six-month license suspension period.
A DUI is a charge that may not seem that momentous (who doesn’t know someone with a DUI?), but it is not insignificant. A conviction for drunk driving can be troublesome, affecting your job and personal life which is why USAttorneys urges you to hire a DUI defense lawyer.
A DUI lawyer in Tulsa, Oklahoma will work hard on your defense and give you a greater chance of avoiding a DUI conviction. USAttorneys can help you find an experienced defense lawyer near you, so you avoid the harsher consequences of a DUI conviction in Oklahoma.