Drink Driving Penalties

Drink Driving Penalties

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Drinking alcohol and driving is a lethal combination, which risks endangering your own life and the lives of fellow motorists. Legal alcohol level limits have been implemented to ensure UK roads are safe for everyone to drive on. Drink driving penalties are in place to deter drivers from drinking and driving and punish those who do. Different penalties apply depending on circumstances - previous points on licences can affect the severity of the punishment along with how much alcohol was found in the blood, breath or urine tests.

Legal Alcohol Limit

The legal alcohol limit for drivers in the UK is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath. If the police suspect a driver is under the influence of alcohol whilst driving they will pull the driver over to the side of the road and breathalyse them. After taking two samples of breath, the police will then use the lower reading to determine if the driver is in fact over the limit. If the driver has indeed exceeded the legal limit they will be arrested and taken down to the police station immediately. Refusing to provide specimens of blood, breath or urine can carry a maximum of 6 months imprisonment, up to a £5000 fine and a minimum 12 month driving ban.

Maximum Penalties

If found guilty of driving or attempting to drive whilst over the legal limit, drink driving penalties can reach a maximum of 6 months imprisonment, up to £5000 fine and a minimum driving ban of 1 year. If the offender has had previous drink driving convictions within the last 10 years their maximum prison sentence is three years.

For cases where more than two times the legal alcohol limit of alcohol is present in the driver's tests, an increase in the maximum potential drink driving penalty apply. In this scenario the driver will be listed as a high risk offender and will have to undergo an extended driving test conducted by the DVLA in order to retrieve their licence once their driving ban expires.

In the most severe drink driving cases the motorist's careless driving may result in the death of another person. The drink driving penalties for death by careless driving when under the influence of alcohol are far more severe and a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, unlimited fine and a minimum driving ban of 2 years apply. In such cases, the offender must take an extended driving test before their licence is returned to them.

How Much Is Too Much?

Alcohol has different effects on each individual. When exceeding the legal limit a person is more likely to be a danger to other motorists, pedestrians, property and themselves. Some of the effects a person may experience when jumping behind the wheel after alcohol consumption include:

Reduction in Reaction Times and Judgement

This can drastically affect the driver's ability to take hazards into account and react accordingly. Drinking alcohol lowers a person's inhibitions, reducing their awareness and judgement of situations. This makes it hard for drivers to assess their speed and the general quality of their driving. Dizziness and loss of co-ordination are also common effects of alcohol which significantly lower a driver's ability to drive safely.

Mood Swings

Not only does alcohol have physical effects on the drinker, it also has emotional ones too. Alcohol may cause the driver to experience an overwhelming sense of emotion due to it being a depressant. Anger and distress can sometimes overcome drinkers, which can be incredibly dangerous if experienced whilst driving and the motorist may lose control of their emotions and actions.

About the Author:
Written by Stephanie Staszko, visit Just Motor Law for more advice on drink driving penalties



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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