Blood-alcohol levels are important because they determine the amount of alcohol that a person can have in his or her body and not be considered drunk. In Michigan, the allowable blood-alcohol level is .08%. At one time, the allowable blood-alcohol level was .10%. While the difference may not seem significant, it is. Lowering the blood-alcohol level means that more people will be arrested for drunk driving and suffer the humiliation, costs, fines, potential jail penalties, as well as licensing sanctions ranging from suspensions to revocations. A lower allowable blood-alcohol level will result in more individuals needing to pursue Michigan drivers license restoration. Further, drunk driving convictions are criminal offenses which can affect a person’s job prospects and therefore future earning potential.
Obviously, a change in the allowable blood-alcohol level can have a huge impact on whether or not an individual’s driving privileges are suspended or revoked. In Michigan, two or more drinking and driving offenses will result in a revoked drivers license. This is a hard revocation that offers individuals no Michigan license restoration recourse for a minimum period of one year. After waiting a year, the revoked driver is eligible for a drivers license restoration Michigan hearing. The consequences of not offering any drivers license reinstatement Michigan recourse for over a year can be devastating. For example, for individuals who can’t get to and from work, it can result in a loss of employment.
The next blog will discuss a recent proposal to reduce the allowable blood-alcohol level to .05% and its effect on Michigan drivers license reinstatement.