Driving under the influence (DUI) is illegal in all 50 states. Tennessee passed a bill earlier this year to make the penalties for DUI offenses within a school zone more severe. Since most pedestrians in school zones are children, the need for safe driving is more important in order to keep the young ones protected from injury. The new law, which was introduced and passed in February, states that anyone driving under the influence in a school zone will be subject to double the punishment for an ordinary DUI offense outside of the school zone. For misdemeanor offenders, this means that both fines and prison terms will be doubled.

New Tennessee Law

The new Tennessee law for DUI offenses within school zones also covers:

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are a popular form of off-road transportation for those looking to have fun in recreational areas, especially during warm weather conditions. These vehicles are barred from sharing the roadway with cars and trucks. However, they require a driver’s license just like automobiles in order to drive them legally. Also, if someone decides to drink alcohol before getting behind the wheel of an ATV, he or she can be charged with a DUI. If the impaired driver causes an accident, it can result in serious consequences, such as jail time and fines.

What Are the Tennessee DUI Punishments?

In Tennessee, ATVs are allowed to drive in specified parks, forest areas, hiking trails that permit ATVs, and recreational areas. These are all public zones, so drivers of ATVs are expected to be mindful of the safety of everyone on the trails, including pedestrians and bicyclists.

Tennessee is a great place to enjoy outdoor activities. With the summer season approaching, many people take advantage of the warm weather as a time to relax on the water. Those who own a boat should be mindful, however, that there is a limit to how much one should be drinking while operating a boat. According to the Tennessee Boating Incident Statistical Report, there were 113 reported boating incidents in 2018. Of that total, 15 were caused by reckless boating, and six were reported as specifically being caused by alcohol impairment. Like driving, the legal blood alcohol content limit is 0.08 percent, and anyone who operates a boat over that limit can be charged with a boating under the influence violation.

How Is Boating Regulated in Tennessee?

In Tennessee, safe boating is enforced by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). Officers with the TWRA are charged with assisting any vessel with trouble and making sure all boaters are operating their vehicles appropriately. At any time, a TWRA officer has the right to board a boat he or she believes to be operating improperly. If the officer believes the driver of the boat is under the influence of alcohol, he or she can conduct a field sobriety test, just as if the driver was in a car.

Even though the legal drinking age in the United States is 21 years old, minors all across the country often drink illegally. This can occur due to peer pressure or because the minors have easy access to alcohol or drugs within their home. There are many penalties and punishments when a minor is caught drinking illegally, but if they are caught driving under the influence, there will be even more consequences. They will face not only DUI charges, but they will also lose their driving privileges for a certain amount of time.

Tennessee Underaged DUI Penalties

The state of Tennessee has three statutes to enforce and attempt to eliminate underage drinking and driving. The most severe is the Driving While Impaired statute that affects minor drivers between the ages of 16 and 20. Any minor driver caught driving under the influence will have his or her license revoked for one year with no possibility of earning a restricted license. They will also face a $250 fine and service work per the discretion of the court.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the number of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes has dropped in Campbell County since 2014, but so far this year, there have been nine, bringing the total to 336 since 2009.

Regardless of whether a driver has consumed alcohol, you can expect to be pulled over if a police officer sees you driving erratically down the road. When this happens, and you have been drinking, you could face the possibility of DUI charges.