Drink Driving

Driving and being in control of a vehicle whilst under the influence of alcohol is a criminal offence.

When it comes to drink drive convictions, there are strict alcohol limits for drivers. However, it’s impossible to say exactly how many drinks this equals as it’s different for each person. The way alcohol affects you depends on:

• your weight, age, sex and metabolism (the rate your body uses energy)
• the type and amount of alcohol you’re drinking
• what you’ve eaten recently
• your stress levels at the time

The limits of alcohol recorded also differs depending on the test you take. We can detect alcohol in your system in three ways: in your breath, in your blood or in your urine. The limits for each of these tests are listed below:

• Micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath – 35
• Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood – 80
• Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine – 107

Drink Driving Penalties

If you are convicted of driving (or attempting to drive) a vehicle whilst over the legal limit you may receive:

• 6 months’ imprisonment
• an unlimited fine
• a driving ban for at least 1 year (3 years if convicted twice in 10 years)

If you cause death by careless driving, whilst over the legal limit, you may receive:

• life imprisonment
• an unlimited fine
• a ban from driving for at least 5 years
• an extended driving test before your license is returned

In addition to the legal penalties you might face, your car insurance will increase significantly, your employer and future employers will be able to see your convictions which may limit your opportunities and you may have difficulties travelling/ moving to countries such as the USA.