Washington Driving Under Influence

‘Driving under the influence’ is an expression used for drivers who drive after consuming alcohol or drugs. Driving in such situations can lead to serious penalties. In fact, driving under influence is considered a serious offence in many of the states in the United States. Like all other states, the state of Washington DC has also implemented some laws and regulations regarding driving under influence in the US. Penalties and fines are mostly the same for most of the states in the US.
Washington driving under the influence laws are quite strict as they tend to make sure that the life and property of the driver and other people on the roads is safe. Anybody who is caught driving under influence in Washington, his or her driving license can be suspended. There are two sorts of license suspensions that can take place:

  • If a person is arrested for driving under influence
  • Or, if a person is convicted for driving under influence

These two separate punishments are prescribed according to the intensity of the crime. The license of a culprit can get suspended for a longer period of time if he or she has consumed a lot of alcohol and has caused damage due to rash driving. In case one refuses to take the test for driving under influence, his or her license can get suspended too. So it is advised that if you are caught in such a scenario then you must cooperate with the authorities. However, it is always better to be safe than sorry. So one must be perfectly acquainted with all the ‘driving under influence laws’ in Washington to avoid getting into trouble.

The local DMV at Washington has prescribed these rules to make sure that traffic flows smoothly on the streets of Washington. Punishments for driving under influence are different for different times. These are:
First Offense

  • Jail – 90 Days Maximum
  • Fine – From $300 to $1,000
  • License – 6 Month Suspension

Second DC DUI Offense

  • Jail – 1 Year Maximum
  • Fine – From $1,000 to $5,000
  • License – 1 Year Suspension

Third DUI Offense

  • Jail – 1 Year Maximum
  • Fine – From $2,000 to $10,000
  • License – 2 Year Suspension

So in order to avoid such penalties, one must never drive after consuming alcohol in Washington.

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