Although we all know that we shouldn’t drink and drive, it can be difficult to know how much is too much. This is especially true if you don’t feel as though you’ve been affected by the alcohol you’ve drunk.
Many of us might feel fine to get behind the wheel after a couple of drinks, but the reality is that alcohol can affect the length of time it takes us to process what’s happening around us, which slows down our reactions and makes it more likely that we’ll have an accident.
In England, you are allowed to have a small concentration of alcohol in your blood, urine or on your breath if you are tested. In many cases, a breathalyser test is the first port of call if you are pulled over.
This gives an instant result and you will be deemed over the legal limit to drive if it returns a result of 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath or more. But it is very difficult to work out what amount you can drink and remain under that limit.
As the British Medical Association pointed out, the amount you can drink and remain under the limit varies depending on a multitude of factors, including your age, gender and weight. This means the best advice is to avoid drinking at all if you are going to drive.
What to do if you get pulled over?
If you get pulled over for suspected drink driving by the police in England, they will normally conduct a breath test at the roadside. The result of this test will determine whether they take you to the police station for a more comprehensive breathalyser test.
The second breath test you take at the police station will determine whether you’re charged with drink driving. The police also have the right to request blood and/or urine samples for testing, although they may feel this isn’t necessary.
If you get pulled over, remain calm. Do as the police officers ask and cooperate. Refusing to take a breath test or getting angry won’t help the situation.
What happens if I get charged with drink driving?
There are varying penalties for drink driving in England. These range from a fine of up to £2,500 to a driving ban and even time in prison.
Your penalty will be decided by the magistrate who hears your case, which is why it’s important that you hire drink driving solicitors to support you when you go to court. This could make the difference between you receiving the most severe penalty or escaping with a much lighter punishment.
The magistrate hearing your case will take various factors into account when deciding your sentence and an experienced solicitor will be able to make the case for you to be acquitted, or certainly to receive a lesser penalty than the one the prosecution is seeking.
Ultimately, it’s best to avoid getting caught for drink driving at all by avoiding alcohol if you plan to get behind the wheel, but if you do find yourself in the unfortunate situation that you are pulled over and fail a breath test, you need to ensure you get the proper legal representation to help you.
In addition to the penalties the court hands out, you could lose your job, not to mention likely face much higher costs to insure a vehicle in the future.