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Caught drink driving? What might happen next

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22 November 2013

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Especially at this time of the year, people sometimes forget what can happen if you drink before you drive. Don’t, because the consequences for your career can be grim

This content was submitted on behalf of  Quality Solicitors

DESPITE all the campaigns to raise awareness of what could happen if people combine alcohol with driving a motor vehicle, along with the fact that it is illegal and can carry some pretty hefty criminal sentences, thousands of people are caught drink driving by the police every single year. 

If you are one of these people then you may be worried about what might happen next. Here are some of the situations you may find yourself in, and what to do next…

 

Criminal

  • If caught drink driving and given a positive breath/blood sample, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you will receive a criminal record; this will stay with you for the rest of your life. 
  • For your first drink driving offence you will be banned from driving for a minimum period of 12 months, whilst if it is a repeat offence it will be for a period of at least 3 years.
  • There is a possibility that, generally in the more severe cases or when the offence has been repeated on one or more occasions, you could find yourself having to serve a maximum of six months in prison. This could be worse however if anyone else was injured in an accident you had caused because of your incapacity to operate the vehicle properly.
  • Other punishments could include a fine of anything up to £5000, or an order to complete a number of hours of community service.

 

Lifestyle

  •  You will receive a DR10 mark on your driving licence – this is the code for a drink driving offence and will stay on your licence for a period of 11 years from the date you were caught.
  • If driving is involved in any of the jobs you do then you may find it much harder to find work in the future. If you drive for a living then you will find it virtually impossible to get work – if you are in employment which requires you to drive then it’s likely that you will lose your job, and your employer will have the full rights to let you go.
  • You’ll receive massively inflated car insurance premium quotes as insurers will see you as a far greater risk on the road. This will affect your premiums for five years once your driving ban has been completed.
  • You may find it more difficult to find any job whether it involves driving or now as you will have a criminal record to your name. This could especially be the case if you are going through a job that requires a CRB check, e.g. teaching or health care.

 

What to do next

Driving whilst drunk is a serious offence and a foolish decision for anyone to make. Of course, sometimes people make mistakes and in some cases they may not think that they are over the legal limit.

It’s important that if you are in this situation that you contact a firm of specialist criminal solicitors to look at your case, as they will advise you of your options and how you could best tackle your potential punishments when you go to court. They may also be able to get the judge to be more lenient towards you, especially if this is a first offence and you are of a generally good character.

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Matt Morton

Matt Morton

Matt Morton is an automotive content writer for Business Car Manager

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