Underage drunken driving sentences to become harsher for Virginia teens

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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Taking the wheel after a sip of alcohol will cause Virginia teens to lose their license for a year after a new law goes into effect Tuesday

The new law, dubbed “Baby DUI,” increases drunken-driving sentences for people under 21, closing a loophole that had made underage drunken-driving penalties less severe than those for underage alcohol possession.

Now, teens convicted of driving while intoxicated will lose their license for 12 months and pay a fine of at least $500 or contribute 50 hours of community service. The new “zero tolerance” policy means courts will punish underage drinking equally whether teens drink and drive or just drink.

Before, they would lose their license for six months and pay a maximum fine of $500.

“It clearly wasn’t sending the right message to kids,” said Chris Konschak, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving for Virginia and the District of Columbia. “Any [underage] alcohol use is wrong, but getting behind the wheel of a car with it is worse.”

Teens also must drive for 45 hours, up from 40, before receiving their license.

“They’re trying to stop kids from getting killed, because we’re losing too many young people on the roads these days,” said Fairfax County Master Police Officer Tom Harrington. “One of the most important things to a young person is their driver’s license.”

Fourteen teens between the ages of 15 and 20 died in alcohol-related Fairfax County crashes last year, including a three-person fatality of West Potomac High School students on graduation night.

After her 16-year-old stepdaughter died while drinking and driving in 2004, Debbie Sausville of Fairfax has traveled repeatedly to speak to high school students, warning them of the consequences of underage drinking. 

“If they get their license taken away for a year, they have a year to think about the ramifications for drinking and driving,” she said. “ It will act as a deterrent, certainly.”

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» 105 days ago: Underage drunken driving sentences to become harsher for Virginia teens «

165 days ago: DUIs, distractions big problem on Maryland roads, police say

503 days ago: Local groups warn teenagers against drinking and driving