Can a driver under age 21 be convicted of DUI if their BAC is lower than .08?

In Virginia, drivers under the age of 21 are subject to a zero-tolerance law concerning alcohol consumption. This means that they can be convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as low as .02. This legal standard recognizes that even small amounts of alcohol can impair a young driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely, thereby increasing the risk of accidents.

A BAC of .02 is significant enough to reflect a measurable level of alcohol and potentially influence driving performance. As a result, the law is stricter for drivers under 21 compared to those of legal drinking age, who face a threshold of .08 for DUI. This is a critical aspect of Virginia driving laws aimed at promoting safer roads and reducing alcohol-related incidents among younger, less experienced drivers.

The other choices do not align with this specific zero-tolerance policy, as they suggest alternate thresholds or criteria that do not apply to the DUI laws affecting drivers under 21 in Virginia.