Being pulled over by the police and arrested for drink driving can be particularly stressful. Some claim that because they’re a certain size or weight, they can drive just fine when over the limit. Don’t assume you’re immune from the effects of drinking or driving just because you might not feel the effects of alcohol at the time.
What happens if you are arrested for drink driving?
You will be required to take a breath test
An Officer can request a breath test in any of the following situations:
- They suspect that you have committed, or are currently committing, a traffic offence.
- If they have reasonable cause to believe that you were the driver who was involved in an accident.
- If having stopped you, they have reasonable cause to suspect that the person driving/owner of the vehicle has consumed alcohol.
You will be taken to the Police Station
If you refuse to comply with the breath test or it comes back positive, you will be immediately taken to the police station. There you will usually be asked to provide two specimens of breath for analysis. If the reading is more than the prescribed alcohol limit you will have committed an offence and be charged.
The legal alcohol limit for drivers in Northern Ireland is:
- 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
- 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.
- 107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine
Conviction Penalties
When you attend court and you are convicted of a drink driving offence these convictions can include:
- Fines of up to £5000
- Driving ban ranging from 12 months to 3 years
- Imprisonment for up to 6 months imprisonment
- You may be required to re-sit your driving test before your license is returned.
Contact the experts
Once charged, you must immediately seek help from road traffic law experts. McPartland & Sons have a dedicated team of road traffic law solicitors. They are experts in motoring offences, with the power to minimise your chances of disqualification. Contact us for more details. We aim to keep you on the road.
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