Drink Drive Solicitor - Driving Offence Solicitors in London

Our drink driving solicitors in London are at your disposal and have a vast experience in traffic and driving offences. We can represent you in the court of law in front of the authorities.

Quick Facts
The prescribed alcohol limit in the UK	35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath 80 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine
Penalty points	3 to 11
Fines	£2,500 or unlimited in some cases
Imprisonment	3 or 6 months and life imprisonment for causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink.
The period the offence stays on the driving record	11 years from the date of the conviction
Driving ban	At least 1 year, or at least 3 years if the individual is convicted twice in 10 years
Aggravating factors for drink driving	Previous convictions related to drink driving, carrying passengers, unnaceptable driving, involvement in an accident.
Mitigating factors in case of drink driving	No previous or relevant convictions, genuine emergency, remorse/good character on behalf of the driver, the driven distance was very short, the drink was spiked.
Other problems	Car insurance costs increase, travel restrictions/driving restrictions in other countries, employers are able to see the conviction on the license (for drivers).
Posibility to reduce the driving ban	Drink-drive rehabilitation scheme (DDRS) courses are available in some cases and can reduce the ban by a quarter (in most cases).
Reasonable excuses for not giving the police a breath specimen	A genuine physical or mental condition; in this case, a blood test can be required by the police
When the police can stop you	The police can stop a vehicle for any reason
Mandatory steps during the arrest procedure	The police must identify themselves and tell you why you are being arrested They must tell you what crime they believe you have committed and why the arrest is necessary
Arrest in case of minors	If under the age of 18, the police should only arrest the individual at school if it is unavoidable (and must inform the head teacher). The parents are contacted as soon as possible
Use of reasonable force by the police	The police can use reasonable force in case of individuals who try to escape or become violent
The right to be searched when arrested	The police has the right to search you once you’ve been arrested
Driving allowed in special cases even when banned	No, you are not allowed to drive anywhere in the UK if banned by a UK court
How to pay the fine for a drink driving offence	By credit or debit card, based on the “notice of fine”
Specialised legal representation for repeat offenders (Yes/No)	Yes
When to contact us	As soon as you are being investigated for a drink driving offence
Governing law	Section 5 of the Road Traffic Act 1988
Maximum sentence for death by drunk driving	Life imprisonment
Spent convictions	Some convictions become spent after 5 years, but more serious offenses remain on record for a longer period.
Failure to provide a specimen	Failing to provide such a sample without a reasonable excuse is a criminal offense and might result in an increased sentence.
Totality principle	The court considers the seriousness of all offenses together when deciding the sentence.
Medical evidence	Blood tests & clinical evaluations of the defendant’s physical and mental condition.
Witnesses in drunk driving cases	Can also benefit from support and advice from our driving offence solicitors.
Pleading guilty	Recommended, as it can lead to a reduction in sentence.
License return	Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will send a renewal form for reapplying for license.
High-risk offender qualification	Refuse to provide sample; Have 2 or more drink driving convictions in the last 10 years; Drive with a high level of alcohol in your system.
Completion of the rehabilitation course	Can reduce the driving ban by a quarter of the original duration.
Who can take the course	If the driving ban is for 12 months or more.
Appealing verdict	Within 15 business days after sentence (appeal to the Crown Court)
Cities our services are available in	You can discuss with our driving solicitors in London, but in other UK cities as well.
How can our driving solicitors help	– court representation, – legal advice, – gathering evidence, – prepare defense strategy, etc.

What services do your drink driving solicitors in London offer?

Our drink driving lawyers in London are qualified to assist you in all matters concerning drink driving:

If you are found in charge of a vehicle while above the legal drink limit or unfit through drink;
If you drive or even if you attempt to drive whilst above the legal limit or unfit through drink;
If you refused to provide a specimen for the police to test (breath, blood, or urine);
If you injure or even cause death by careless driving while unfit to drive through drink.

Can I also receive assistance for additional motoring offences?

Yes. We can also offer guidance on other motoring offences, such as:

Penalty points totting up cases;
Driving while disqualified;
Speeding offences;
Careless driving;
Dangerous driving.

Driving offences can add up in a single event, meaning that one could be found guilty of both speeding/dangerous driving and/or drunk driving.

Talking to an experienced motoring offence solicitor in the UK is useful in all the cases listed above.

How can you effectively help me if I am accused of drink driving in the UK?

We can help you:

Keep your license, depending on the severity of the offence;
Reduce the drive ban (if applicable in your case);
With legal representation in London and in other areas in the UK, in front of the police, as well as with court representation (if this should be the case).

In the UK, you could be fined, imprisoned, or simply banned from driving if you are found guilty of drink-driving.

Working with a qualified drink drive solicitor is advisable in all cases, and as soon as possible once you have been accused of this offence.

What happens if I’m accused of drink driving?

Individuals caught by the police in traffic while driving under the influence of alcohol should expect a serious ban of a minimum of 12 months without a driving license or at least 3 years if convicted twice in 10 years; longer bans can be imposed if the case is severe or the person was involved in a serious accident.

Community orders and fines are issued for offenders who have been caught drink driving in the UK, and more than that, if victims are involved, these offenders can face imprisonment.

What happens if murder is involved?

Drink and driving cases can get complicated if murder is involved, and in these cases, it is highly advisable to seek the assistance offered by a drink driving solicitor in London.

The first thing you need to know is that the police can arrest you at the scene of the accident and keep you in custody for up to 24 hours (longer only if extended for serious offences). This is where you can receive immediate legal advice from one of our drink driving lawyers in London with experience in this field.

Just like in any other drink driving case (no murder involved), the evidence must be gathered by the prosecution at the crime scene and in any other place related to the offender involved. Such verifications might take a while, a time when the offender can be kept in police custody.

We remind that offenders have the right to medical care during custody and must not answer any question at the police station until a drink driving solicitor is present.

Drink driving involving crimes are severe offences that have extreme consequences for families and the public, not to mention the fact that years of imprisonment can be imposed if found guilty in the court of law.

We invite you to watch a video about the services offered by our drink driving solicitors in London:

What are the consequences of a drink-driving offence in the UK?

We describe the possible consequences of driving offences below, according to the type of offence:

Being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal limit: you could get a maximum fine of 2,500 £, a possible driving ban or 3 months’ imprisonment;
Driving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit: in this case, the fine is unlimited and the imprisonment can be up to 6 months; moreover, the driving ban lasts at least 1 year or 3 years if the individual is convicted of this same offence twice within 10 years; our drink driving solicitor in London will give you more details about what is considered an attempt to drive;
Refusal to provide a specimen for analysis: this refers to all three types (breath, blood or urine) and the offender may get an unlimited fine, a driving ban of at least one year or 6 months’ imprisonment;
Causing death while under the influence of drink: life imprisonment, an unlimited fine and a driving ban of at least 5 years (subject to an extended driving test before receiving the licence back).

In most cases, offenders are able to reduce the driving bank of they agree to take a drink-drive rehabilitation course (this can be offered when banned from driving for 1 year or more and the court is the one to decide of this offer should be made available to the offender).
Driving while unfit through drink can bring about very unpleasant consequences. Even in cases that are not severe, the offender can face a number of problems, among which we remind you that the car insurance costs will increase as a result of this. Your work could also be affected if you work as a driver because the employer will be able to see that you have been convicted.

What is a high-risk offender?

High-risk offenders will not get their license back immediately and they will need to pass a medical examination with an appointed doctor. Our drink driving solicitor in London explains this: a high-risk offender is an individual who was convicted of 2 drink driving offences within 10 years or who:

was driving with an alcohol level of at least 87.5 microgrammes per 100 ml of breath;
refused to provide a sample of breath, urine or blood for the alcohol test;
refused to allow a sample that was taken at a certain point (while unconscious, for example) to be used by the police.

Reapplying for a license can take time and our driving solicitors can assist you, however, a prolonged driving ban can cause other issues, especially if you rely heavily on your car to commute or for other essential drives (for medical purposes, for example).

How can you help me reduce my drink-driving offence?

In practice, the reduction of the level of penalty associated with a drink-drive case is called mitigation. This is the process through which a solicitor presents evidence that can result in a lesser penalty.

Mitigation for drink-drive cases in the UK is possible when:

The individual had no previous convictions of this type;
The drinks were spiked;
The driving distance was very short;
The driver has a serious medical condition and/or is the sole carer for dependent relatives;
The driver shows genuine remorse.

At the same time, aggravating factors can also apply. When you work with our team, we will look at all of these factors to determine how to build your case and, when possible, reduce the drive ban/penalties that apply.

We remind you that you can call our drink driving solicitor at any time and ask for complete legal assistance at the police station and in the court of law if you have been accused of traffic offences, and especially of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Drink Driving Solicitors in London

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