« Rhode Island DUI Penalties

February 19, 2010

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Laws demanding suspected DUI drivers to go under breath, blood, or urine test for blood alcohol content is known as “implied consent laws”. Any type of rejection to that can result penalties such as mandatory suspension of driving license for up to a year.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

Any driver in Rhode Island driving with blood alcohol concentration above than 0.08 percent will be measured “per se intoxicated” under the law. According to this law only this evidence is enough for a driver to be convicted for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

Zero Tolerance Blood Alcohol Concentration

Zero tolerance laws in all states mainly focus on drivers not of legal drinking age. Any driver under the age of 21 years in Rhode Island if will be operating any motor vehicle with blood alcohol level 0.02 percent or above will be subject to DUI penalties.

Enhanced Penalty Blood Alcohol Concentration

Some states are having more strict punishments for DUI defenders that are having high blood alcohol level at the time of arrest; usually that is 0.15 to 0.20 percent above the legal limit. While in Rhode Island these laws are not applicable.

Administrative License Suspension/Revocation Penalties

These are minimum mandatory penalties imposed on those drivers that are having blood alcohol level above than 0.08 percent in Rhode Island or they will be subject to implied consent laws if they refuse to concede to breath, blood, or urine test for blood alcohol level.

These penalties include suspension or revocation (permanently or temporarily) by the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV). For first DUI offense in Rhode Island the mandatory suspension is for 90 days; for second offense it is for one year; and for third offense its up to three years.

Vehicle Confiscation

Vehicle confiscation penalty for DUI offenders temporarily or permanently is a chance in some states usually for repeat offenders. This penalty for DUI is not applicable in Rhode Island.

Ignition Interlock

Ignition interlock is a device that is attached with the vehicle DUI offender so that driver perform a breath test before starting the vehicle. This penalty for DUI can be possible in some states while in Rhode Island this is not valid.

Alcohol Education and Assessment/Treatment

Alcohol teaching and prevention, alcohol abuse treatment and appraisal of a person for possible drug or alcohol dependency can be required in Rhode Island. Such steps are often taken instead of sever punishments like imprisonment or heavy fines.