4 Top Frequently Asked Questions About Drunk Driving

If you, or anyone you know, has been involved in a drunk driving accident, then you will know that there are always so many questions that you instantly want to ask. The normal approach is to approach a drunk driving solicitors and to have a consultation with them. In this article, we have actually outlined some of the more frequently asked questions with regards to drunk driving.

How much alcohol is a driver allowed to drink?

The most common question is how much alcohol is a driver allowed to drink before then driving a car? Most drunk driving solicitors will often cautiously answer this question – the reason being, that there is no fixed limit on how much a person can drink. The law specifies the legal limit as 35mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath; however there is no breakdown in terms of how that affects each individual person, who has their own unique characteristics. So the first problem is that the law is not 100 percent clear on how much alcohol a person can drink. This is the reason that some people will fully abstain from alcohol when driving, as they are unsure how it will affect their driving abilities.

How do I reduce my sentence?

The second question most people ask is – if I have been caught drinking driving, then how do I reduce my sentence? Like most criminal offences, being honest and owning up to your mistakes does sometimes mean that a court may be more lenient on you. This is not however always fully true so you should take the advice of a reputable drunk driving solicitors firm, who can advise you.

It is also important to be aware that by pleading guilty to a crime of drink driving, you may be putting your career at risk. Whilst this may not always be the case, especially when your job requires driving as part of the day to day responsibilities, it does mean that staying employed in the same role may be harder. There are also a number of knock-on effects from pleading guilty to such a charge – for example, your insurance premiums are likely to significantly increase. There have also been famous cases where having a criminal conviction for drunk driving on a person’s record has led to them being denied entry in to some foreign countries. You should also remember that a drink druving conviction will stay on a driving licence for up to 11 years.

Do I have to go through a breath test?

The third question most frequently asked is can the police randomly stop a person and require them to take a breath test? The law here is fairly clear, in that a police offer can randomly stop a car for whatever reason. However, the difficulty comes when deciding whether that same police officer can require you to take a breath test. The law states that the police officer needs to “reasonably suspect” that a person has consumed alcohol. They are also allowed to ask the driver if they have consumed any alcohol – and if the answer is positive, they can then require a breath test to be conducted.

What do I do next?

The final question is what should a person do next if they have been arrested on a suspicion of drink druving? The first thing you should do is contact a reliable drink driving solicitors firm. They will able to fully analyse your case and understand if everything has been conducted in the line with the appropriate procedures. One note of caution – although it is possible to represent yourself in a drink druving legal case, unless you actually work within a drink driving solicitors firm, it is recommended that you hire an expert.

Police Officer Looking for Signs of Drunk Driving/DWI/DUI video

M & A Solicitors are one of the UK’s most respected specialist criminal practices, based in York. Founded in 2002 by Damien Morrison, they have grown into leading criminal experts and have a team of dedicated legal experts, all with a minimum of at least 5 years experience. All solicitors at M & A Solicitors are qualified as a Court and Police Station Duty Solicitor. M & A Solicitors has experience in a wide variety of criminal matters including criminal, regulatory, immigration and road traffic matters.