Drink driving offences can be serious and complicated cases that usually require the aid of a solicitor.
Driving under the influence of alcohol has a range of penalties that depend on the related facts, such as prior offences. Working with a specialist driving offence solicitor can help you mitigate.
FAQs
Drink driving is the act of driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. It is a serious offence that can lead to lasting consequences for yourself and others.
Punishments for drink driving offences are severe and can range from driving bans to prison sentences.
The legal limits for driving under the influence of alcohol differs from person to person. The limits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are as follows:
It is a criminal offence if you refuse to provide the police with a specimen without a reasonable excuse (such as a medical reason.)
You should always give a specimen sample regardless of if you are over the limit. If the police do not follow the correct procedure when attaining the sample, this may aid your case in court.
The length of a drink driving case depends on the severity of the offence and the choice of plea. A guilty plea can take a minimum of 4 months, whilst a no guilty plea can range anywhere from 5 to 12 months.
If found guilty, the court will issue a standard 12-month driving disqualification. Factors that could increase this ban include:
The court will also issue you a fine dictated by the severity and longevity of your case. In more serious cases, specifically involving the lives of others, you could face a prison sentence.
As it is a technical area of law, it is always worth consulting a drink driving solicitor to assess the circumstances surrounding your charge.
Regardless of whether you intend to plead guilty or not, we always advise hiring a specialist drink driving defence solicitor. A drink driving solicitor that has experience in court advocacy can greatly increase the chances of the court showing leniency by putting forward mitigating circumstances.
If your job depends on having a driving license, you can argue for exceptional hardship in court. This allows for you to base your guilty plea on the financial dependence of having a license.
If you’re unsure about whether you should plead guilty or not, our drink driving solicitors can help. We can ensure that you receive:
For first time offenders, our solicitors have experience in reducing the standard driving ban of 12 months to 9 months. You would need to complete a drink driving awareness course, but this would lessen the ban by 25%.
We are currently unable to offer legal aid in any capacity as we lack the necessary legal aid certificate. We also don’t offer pro bono work at present.
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