Drunk and drugged driving laws in Alabama

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state the blood alcohol limits for adults, under-21s and commercial drivers.
• You can explain implied consent and what happens if you refuse a test.
• You can describe the penalties for a first and repeat DUI conviction.
• You can explain why medicines and cannabis can also lead to a DUI.
• You can plan a safe way home that does not involve impaired driving.

What you need to know and understand

• It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or more, or while under the influence of alcohol or drugs at any level.
• Drivers under 21 break the law at .02 percent or more.
• Commercial drivers are limited to .04 percent, and school bus and daycare drivers to .02 percent.
• By driving in Alabama you are deemed to have agreed to a chemical test of your blood, breath or urine.
• Refusing a breath test after a DUI arrest leads to license suspension.
• A first DUI conviction brings a fine of $600 to $2,100, up to a year in jail, and a 90-day license suspension.

How alcohol changes your driving

Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant. It slows your reflexes, blurs your vision, weakens judgment and coordination and makes you overconfident. Research cited in the manual shows that most people are impaired to some degree at .05 percent and everyone is impaired at .08 percent. A bottle of beer, a shot of whiskey and a glass of wine hold about the same amount of alcohol. Only time removes it from your body. Coffee, food or a cold shower may wake you, but they will not sober you up.

DUI penalties in Alabama

• First conviction: $600 to $2,100 fine, up to one year in jail, or both, plus a 90-day license suspension.
• Second conviction within 10 years: $1,100 to $5,100 fine, up to one year in jail, a mandatory 48 hours in jail or 20 days of community service, and a one-year license revocation.
• Third conviction: $2,100 to $10,100 fine, a mandatory minimum of 60 days in jail and a three-year revocation.
• Fourth or later conviction: a Class C felony with a $4,100 to $10,100 fine, one year and a day to 10 years in prison, and a five-year revocation.
• An alcohol-related conviction that does not require revocation adds 6 points to your record.

Drugs, medicines and cannabis

Driving under the influence of any drug to a degree that makes you unable to drive safely is a crime, and mixing alcohol with drugs multiplies the effects. Some cold pills and allergy remedies can cause drowsiness and confusion, so ask your doctor or pharmacist about side effects before driving. Recreational marijuana is not legal in Alabama, and even a legal prescription is no defense if it impairs your driving.

Make a plan before you go out

1. Decide how you will get home before the evening starts.
2. Choose a sober driver or arrange a ride with a parent or a ride service.
3. Never ride with a driver who has been drinking or using drugs.
4. If you are under 21, remember you cannot legally drink at all.

Common mistakes

• Believing you are fine to drive because you only had one or two drinks. Under 21, even one drink can put you over .02 percent.
• Thinking coffee or food will sober you up quickly. Only time works.
• Driving after taking a new medicine without checking its side effects.
• Refusing a test in the belief it avoids penalties. Refusal itself leads to suspension.

Test yourself: Drunk and drugged driving laws in Alabama

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Alabama 50 Hours Driving
• Alabama GDL Law
• Alabama Hands-Free Law and Point System