Many people do not know this, but driving while impaired is actually only a traffic violation, as opposed to driving while intoxicated, which is a criminal conviction. A person can receive a ticket for driving while impaired, without actually receiving a DUI charge and being arrested. How is this possible? On this page, I will discuss the driving while impaired charge and how it differs from driving under the influence in the state of Connecticut.
Connecticut Driving While Impaired and Driving Under the Influence Laws
In Connecticut, if you are under the age of 21, then you can legally be considered intoxicated at a .02 blood alcohol content or higher. A person who is 21 or older is legally intoxicated at a .08 blood alcohol content or higher. But even if you are not above the legal limit (.08% or .02%, depending on your age) you could still be charged with a motor vehicle infraction. This is where the driving while impaired charge could come into play.
Although driving while impaired is not as serious as a DUI and could not result in a criminal conviction, you could still face serious penalties. These include fines, license suspension, and points against your license. Driving while impaired is a serious driving violation. As such, it will result in three points assessed against your driver’s license by the DMV. The most points you can have assessed against your license for one driving infraction is 5, so driving while impaired is a middle of the road offense. Still, you want to avoid this if at all possible. Having a certain amount of points assessed against your license can result in a license suspension, which you want to avoid. Avoiding this charge altogether will avoid these consequences.
Getting Help
But what if you have already gotten a ticket for driving while impaired? In this situation, you need to decide if you are going to plead to the ticket or fight it. If you plead to the ticket, you have to pay the fine and you expose yourself to all of the other potential penalties for the infraction. If you fight the ticket, you can defend yourself in court and potentially have the ticket dropped. While there are no guarantees, for many people this is a good option.
Before proceeding with either option, it is a good idea to contact a motor vehicle violations attorney for help. Such a lawyer can help you weigh your options and determine which is the best course of action given your situation.
If you have received a motor vehicle ticket for driving while impaired and you would like to learn more about the pros and cons of fighting the ticket in court, contact Mr. Speeding Ticket to speak to someone who can help you.
