Drunk Driving in Ohio | What’s a DUI | DUI Consequences | DUI Attorney

What’s a DUI?

Many people may not know that it is not illegal in Ohio to have a drink and then drive. What’s a DUI? Driving under the influence. Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. What is illegal in Ohio is having a certain concentration of alcohol and/or drugs in one’s breath, blood or urine, called an OVI. Regarding alcohol, the legal limit for a breathalyzer test is .08. The DUI penalties increase if your breathalyzer test is .17 or above. However, blood and urine samples have different legal limits.

What’s the Limit I Can Drink and Still Drive?

One may ask, how much can I drink and still be legal to drive? There is not one good answer. The answer depends on the type of alcohol you have drank, your height, weight, metabolism and several other factors. What may put you over the legal limit one day may differ on another day. An example includes drinking on a full or empty stomach. Personally, I do not drive if I have had more than 1 glass of beer, wine or mixed drink.

DUI Consequences

The DUI consequences are significant. A first offense, simple OVI, less than .17, is punishable by a minimum of 3 days in jail or a drivers intervention program (DIP) and a maximum of 6 months in jail, a fine of $375-$1,075, a license suspension of 1 to 3 years, (with eligibility for driving privileges 15 days after arrest) and special plates are optional. If you want unlimited driving privileges, you will need to get a special license and interlock on your vehicle. (interlock is where you have to blow into a machine connected to your vehicle that detects alcohol). A high test, .17 or greater, means you will be doing a minimum of 6 days in jail or 3 days jail and 3 days in a DIP program and you will be required to have a special license plate. Penalties get more severe for additional OVI convictions.

DUI Attorney

OVI convictions are on your driving record for life, you cannot expunge or seal an OVI conviction. You want to avoid an OVI conviction if possible. A DUI attorney who regularly represents people charged with OVI can help you either avoid an OVI conviction and/or minimize the penalties.