If a law enforcement official determined that you were under the influence of alcohol while a child was riding in the vehicle, you need to understand the penalties associated with these cases. In fact, DWIs involving children can affect many facets of a parent’s life, including their ability to spend time with their child afterward.
Sometimes, parents find themselves in this position even though they were not over the legal limit at the time of the stop.
The penalties associated with DWIs involving children
The Texas Department of Transportation reports that those charged with DWIs involving child passengers face various penalties, such as up to two years behind bars and an additional $10,000 in fines. Moreover, if the child was under the age of 15, the driver could also face child endangerment charges. Furthermore, the driver could lose his or her license for an additional 180 days, which is especially devastating for some of those who need to drive their kids to school or go to work.
The impact of a DWI case involving a child passenger
Aside from these penalties, other hardships sometimes come up for drivers facing these accusations. For example, such a DWI case could adversely affect a parent’s ability to secure a favorable outcome in a custody dispute. Sometimes, the financial consequences of a DWI case affect one’s entire family and create lasting emotional pain and interpersonal conflict. You need to remember that in Texas, it is against the law to operate a vehicle if your blood alcohol level exceeds 0.08% or if any amount of alcohol interferes with your driving abilities.
