Facing a Drink Driving Penalty? Here’s What You Need to Know

Just been caught drink driving?

It’s natural for anxiety levels to be high and for you to wonder what the next steps are.

To mitigate a penalty, or avoid one altogether, it’s vital you understand what the penalties are, what impact they can have on your personal and professional life, as well as who to contact to defend your case.

Here’s everything you need to know about getting a drink driving penalty.

Legal drink driving limits in the UK

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the legal drink driving limit is:

• 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath
• 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood
• 10 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of urine

If you are above these limits, you will be charged a drink driving penalty.

Possible drink driving penalties

If you get caught drink driving in the UK, the possible penalties are:

• A fine of up to £5000
• A prison sentence of up to 6 months
• Mandatory driving disqualifications
• Considered a high-risk offender

If it’s your first offence, you’ll likely receive:

• A fine
• Driving disqualification for up to 12 months

If you’ve been caught drink driving in the past and it’s your second offence, you can expect:

• A fine
• Driving disqualification for up to 3 years

The fine is determined based on how much over the limit you are, and what the court decides.

The impact of a drink driving penalty

While the most common drink driving penalty is a fine of up to £5000, it won’t just affect your bank account.

If you drive for a living and get caught drink driving, it’s likely you’ll lose your job as a result. And, as this sentence will remain on your criminal record, it will be harder to seek future employment.

Getting from A to B is often taken for granted when you have your own car to use at your disposal. You can nip to the shops, go to work and easily meet up with friends and spouses.

However, if you’ve been caught drink driving, a driving ban will be put in place. This takes away the freedom you’re used to and can affect your social and romantic lives, as well as your professional ones.

If you aren’t subject to a ban, your conviction will have an impact on your insurance premiums, increasing them considerably.

How to defend against a drink driving penalty

With a drink driving penalty, there are loopholes and faults in police procedures that could lead to a reduced sentence or none at all.

For starters, you need to appoint a drink driving solicitor who will be able to defend your case and get you the result you deserve. Ideally, someone who has vast knowledge and experience in this field.

For example, they may find that your drink was spiked and you didn’t realise, if you were driving for an emergency, or if there was an issue with police testing.

Finding the right drink driving solicitor for you

When looking for a solicitor to fight your corner, it’s important you go to an experienced drink driving solicitor. They have the knowledge and expertise for specific drink driving cases, helping to navigate the complex legal landscape, tailor a defence strategy to your unique situation, and increase your chances of a favourable outcome.

MAJ Law offers free advice and consultations for drink driving cases. Their specialist drink driving solicitors will support you through your case, pleading for a reduced sentence or no drink driving penalty at all.