Texas has harsh laws concerning drinking and driving crimes. Even for minors, the potential penalties are still harsh. They can follow your child well into adulthood after a conviction.
But just how does underage drinking and driving impact their future? What sort of consequences may they face?
Your future career paths
The Next Generation Village discusses the potential consequences that come along with underage drinking and driving. First, if convicted, you face potential fines and jail time. This differs in severity depending on the specific charges faced. For example, reckless driving charges hold less severity than property damage or harming a third party.
But the long term consequences do not have as much focus, even when they should. These are the consequences faced after a sentence ends. For example, individuals convicted of DWI crimes cannot pursue certain career paths. You cannot work with anything that involves commercial driving, like trucking or rideshare services. There are industries that ban people with DWI convictions from applying, too. Two examples include teaching and government positions.
Coming across criminal record bias
Even if you apply for work outside of these fields, an employer may still display bias against you due to your criminal record. Likewise, landlords may refuse your application. While outright discrimination over criminal history is not allowed in most cases, it can and does still happen to people all over the state.
Finally, a DWI conviction can haunt your reputation well into adulthood. This is particularly true if you got involved in a crash that harmed another person. This stigma can impact the way you fit in with your community and your interpersonal relationships, which can cause great stress.
