Unlike Kentucky, Ohio law establishes a separate violation for having physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The Ohio Physical Control Statute defines physical control as “being in the driver’s position of the front seat of a vehicle or in the driver’s position of a streetcar trackless trolley and having possession of the vehicle’s, streetcar’s, or trackless trolley’s ignition key or other ignition device.” The classic example of a physical control violation is the person who leaves a bar and decides to “sleep it off” in their vehicle without driving.
Lawmakers in Ohio decided not punish someone as severely for getting into a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, but deciding not to drive. However, a physical control violation still has severe consequences including jail time, fines, treatment, license suspension, and the installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle making it important that an Ohio physical control violations lawyer is consulted.
Ohio Physical Control Penalties
A person convicted of a physical control violation can expect to receive the following punishment:
Jail Time – Up to 180 days
Fines – Up to $1,000.00
Treatment – At the discretion of the judge
License Suspension – Up to 12 months
Ignition Interlock – At the discretion of the judge
A physical control violation is a Misdemeanor – 1st Degree in Ohio. These cases are too important to face alone. If you are charged with a this violation, call one of our Ohio physical control violation attorneys today.