Drink Driving Solicitors

Our Drink Driving Solicitors provide expert advice and representation to people facing drink driving charges. Drink Driving (whilst above the legal limit for alcohol consumption), is a serious motoring offence, which, if convicted, could have far reaching consequences on your life and career.

If you have been stopped by the police under suspicion of drink driving, you must seek legal advice from an expert Drink Driving Solicitor as soon as possible.

We can provide police station representation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring you will always have access to first class legal help.

BKP Solicitors has a wealth of experience in successfully defending drink driving cases. Our dedicated Motoring Offence Solicitors have extensive knowledge when it comes to charges of this kind, allowing us to build the strongest possible defence for you.

Our services, post arrest, are free at the point of delivery, meaning we can assist anyone at the police station. If you have been arrested for or charged with drink driving and need access to expert legal advice, call BKP Solicitors or fill in our online contact form.

How Can our Drink Driving Solicitors Help?

At BKP Solicitors, we understand how stressful it can be to face drink driving charges, especially if losing your licence will mean a loss of livelihood and independence. We are here to fight your corner and have a proven track record of successfully defending a variety of motoring offences.

According to government statistics, there is a general down trend in the number of casualties and fatalities caused by drink driving, but there were still just under 6,500 drink drive related casualties in 2022. The number of drivers on the road with high levels of alcohol in their system is clearly high.

Whether you have been involved in an accident, or were pulled over by the police and suspected of drink driving by the attending officers, we can provide you with all the necessary guidance and advice you need. We also have the expertise to represent you in court if necessary.

We have helped hundreds of clients avoid disqualification and many of our cases have been dropped by the prosecution without coming to trial.

By instructing BKP Solicitors, you can be assured that you have a team of highly skilled legal professionals, who will provide you with the exceptional representation that you deserve.

What Is The Legal Alcohol Limit To Drive?

When you are suspected of drink driving, you will be subject to either a breath, blood or urine test. This test measures the amount of alcohol present in your system, and will determine whether you are over any of the following legal limits:

• Breath: Maximum of 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath
• Blood: Maximum of 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of blood
• Urine: Maximum of 107 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of urine

What Are The Penalties For Drink Driving?

The penalties for drink driving can differ greatly depending on the charges against you. Common drink driving related offences include:

• Being in charge of a vehicle whilst over the legal limit
• Driving or attempting to drive whilst over the legal limit
• Refusing to provide a specimen
• Death through careless driving whilst over the legal limit

Charges for drink driving cases vary from a 12 month disqualification to 14 years' imprisonment. Speak to our motoring offence lawyers to gain expert advice on what penalty you could receive.

Additional Drink Driving Consequences

If you have been convicted of a drink driving offence, it is likely you will suffer additional consequences such as:

• An increase in car insurance
• Difficulty travelling overseas due to a criminal record
• Your conviction being made visible to your employers

Due to the serious repercussions of drink driving cases, it is imperative you seek the help of a solicitor as soon as possible. Our specialist Drink Driving Solicitors will help you gain the best possible outcome for your case.

How Long Will Drink Driving Convictions Stay On My Licence?

If you are charged with drink driving, the court is obliged to put an endorsement on your driving licence which will remain there for 11 years after the time of conviction. See below for offences which correspond to drink driving charges along with the number of penalty points which may be put on your licence by the court:

• DR10 - Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit - 3 to 11
• DR20 - Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink - 3 to 11
• DR30 - Driving or attempting to drive then failing to supply a specimen for analysis - 3 to 11
• DR31 - Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity - 3 to 11

Drink Driving Charges

If the police have taken a sample of your breath, urine or blood and the result is positive, they will proceed with a charge. The charge will be read aloud to you. The police will also read aloud a warning about what you say from that point and how it may be given in evidence at a later date when you are in court. You will be asked to sign the charge and the police will provide you with a copy. In normal circumstances, you will be bailed to attend court on a date to be agreed.

If you are caught driving over the legal limit you are likely to face a fine and a penalty on your driving licence. You could also face a driving ban or even a prison sentence. Each situation is different, and it is up to the magistrates court to listen to your case and determine the outcome.

Excess Alcohol

The amount of alcohol you need to drink in order to be over the prescribed limit varies from person to person. This is due to the fact that no two people are the same, and contributing factors which change the effects of alcohol on your body. The level of intoxication you experience depends of the following:

• Your age, gender, weight and metabolism.
• The type, amount and speed at which you are drinking.
• What you’ve eaten and how recently you’ve eaten.
• Stress levels you are experiencing.

For an average male the legal limit is likely to be 4 units of alcohol (equivalent to 2 pints of beer), with the limit for an average woman likely to be 3 units (equivalent to 1 large glass of wine).

Drunk In Charge

The law states that it is illegal to be in control of a vehicle whilst over the legal alcohol limit. In some cases the police cannot prove that you were driving a vehicle, or intended to, whilst under the influence of alcohol (for example if you’d gotten out before they arrived). However it is possible to prove that you were in control of it. The court uses this law to ensure that people do not avoid deserved convictions due to insufficient evidence.