In a word: Yes! Michigan’s super drunk driving law isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Since its inception in 2010, thousands of people have been prosecuted under this super drunk law. So what exactly does it mean? And how could it affect you in the future? If you aren’t already up to date on what Michigan’s super drunk driving laws are and what they mean in terms of criminal charges and punishment, then stay tuned. We’re going to break it all down for you….
What exactly does it mean to be ‘super drunk’?
In Michigan, a driver whose blood-alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08 or above can be arrested and charged for drunk driving. However, once a driver’s BAC reaches 0.17, which is just more than twice the legal limit, they are considered to be ‘super drunk.’ So while a few drinks with coworkers at the end of the day might get you pulled over on the way home for drunk driving, a night of partying, or drowning your sorrows, could easily become a case of super drunk driving!
What happens when you get charged with super drunk driving?
There are several factors that could affect what kind of penalties you’d face if you were charged with super drunk driving in Michigan. However, one thing you need to keep in mind, is that in most cases, the penalties are double what they would be if you were facing a regular DUI charge.
If this is your first offense, or you haven’t had any other drunk driving convictions in the last seven years, you could be any of these penalties:
- Fines of up to $700
- Possible jail time of up to 180 days
- Up to 360 hours of community service
- Possible suspension or restriction of your driver’s license for up to 1 year
- 6 points added to your driver’s license
- Mandatory completion of a court-ordered alcohol treatment program
- An ignition interlock device installed on your car
- 45 days suspension of your driver’s license
What about if you have prior DUI convictions?
For people with prior drunk driving records incurred in the last seven years, who are convicted of being super drunk, the penalties may be even harsher. This is pretty standard, and is exactly the same as with regular DUI punishments, which get more and more severe as the occurrences increase.
What should you do if you’re charged with being super drunk?
“Super drunk” might be a silly sounding name, but it’s not a charge to be taken lightly here in Michigan! Anyone charged with driving super drunk (or any kind of drunk or drugged driving, really) needs to get help from a highly skilled DUI defense attorney! So if that’s your situation, call our skilled and trusted DUI defense attorneys today at 866 766 5245 (866 7No Jail) and get the help you need from lawyers who’ve been successfully defending people in Michigan for decades. Remember, the right attorney is critical to your future.