Football season on college campuses means parties and drinking, which can also result in drunk driving and dangerous accidents. Alabama State University and Alabama A&M University students are familiar with the annual football battle between the two schools in their traditional Magic City Classic week.
The festivities mark one of the biggest celebrations in Birmingham, attracting tens of thousands of fans statewide. One family who lost their son in a Magic City drunk driving accident 21 years ago has used the occasion to raise drunk driving awareness and to prevent future accidents and injuries.
In Leeds and throughout the state, parents, administrators, and safety advocacy groups, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board are encouraging students to be drug and alcohol free this season. If students do decide to take part in drinking activities, they are encouraged to drink responsibility. MADD has made it a priority in Alabama and nationwide to raise awareness and to help prevent underage drinking and driving accidents. The last week of October is also known as “Red Ribbon Week,” a time for supporters to join together to curb incidents of impaired driving.
Drinking and driving poses hazards on the road, but it can also be a life-changing event for those behind the wheel. Our Birmingham drunk driving defense attorneys are experienced in helping college students and their families navigate the criminal justice system.
We know that a DUI can shift a student’s academic and professional career. Our priority is to help college students defeat or reduce drunk driving charges and penalties in the event of an arrest. We also hope to raise awareness to prevent future drunk driving arrests, accidents and injuries.
For students facing DUI charges, experienced counsel and advocacy can help to prevent serious penalties and fines, including jail time, loss of license and lost future job opportunities.
Sadly, drunk driving accidents have impacted the lives of thousands of residents in Alabama. Most of us know someone who has been involved in a DUI or who knows someone who has been affected by a drinking related accident.
According to federal statistics, there are 5,000 alcohol-related deaths every year, including under aged drinking, drinking and driving and related accidents.
MADD and State Farm Insurance partnered together this year to raise awareness to fight drunk driving, and representatives from the Alabama ABC Board warned students of the legal consequences of underage drinking and drinking and driving.
This football season, students should remember the law and their rights. The legal drinking age is 21 in the state of Alabama.
ABC board launched an initiative last year known as “Under Age, Under Arrest,” which targeted underage drinking and binge drinking. While underage consumption and DUI are a significant safety hazards, persons arrested and charged for either offense should also remain aware of their rights. Challenging a DUI allegation is critical to prevent getting overcharged or over-penalized for a drinking and driving offense, especially if the driver was underage or involved in a car accident.
If you have been arrested for DUI in Birmingham, call Defense Lawyer Steven Eversole at (866) 831-5292.
More Blog Entries:
Penalties Will Increase for Fatal DUIs, Feb. 8, 2014, Birmingham DUI Defense Lawyer Blog
New DUI Defense: Too Drunk to be Prosecuted? Oct. 12, 2013, Birmingham Underage DUI Defense Lawyer Blog
