Drink/Drug Driving

Drink Driving

Driving while under the influence of alcohol has become the most socially unacceptable motoring offence. A third of all drink drivers we find is through information we get from members of the public.

Drink driving dramatically reduces your ability to keep the motor vehicle under proper control. If caught you will lose your driving licence and may face severe fines and possibly imprisonment.

It should be noted that you do not have to be driving to be prosecuted. If you’re supervising a learner driver while under the influence of alcohol, or otherwise in charge of a motor vehicle, such as sleeping within a motor vehicle while drunk and in possession of its keys, you face being prosecuted and losing your licence.

At the moment you are allowed to drive a motor vehicle if your alcohol content is below “the prescribed limit” namely:

1. 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath;
2. 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood; or
3. 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine

A unit of alcohol will affect each individual in different ways. So there is no real life equivalent in terms of practical safe measurements of alcohol. The only safe way to know you are fit to drive is to have no alcohol at all before setting out.

Failing the roadside breath test or failing to supply a roadside evidential breath specimen, will result in you being arrested, handcuffed and taken to a police station. You will then be required to supply further evidential specimens.

If you are found to be more than double the drink drive limit, fail to supply an evidential sample or have a previous conviction for drink driving you will be kept in police custody until the next court day.

Drug Driving

If you drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs you will face the same fines and driving disqualifications as you would for a drink driving conviction.

The majority of the members of the roads policing unit are specially trained and have obtained a national qualification in “Drug Influence Recognition Preliminary Impairment Testing”. This allows the officer to carry out a number of specific tests at the roadside on a person suspected of drug driving. These tests will show if that person is unfit to drive and will identify which drugs the person is under the influence of.

If you think that this only concerns illegal drugs then think again. The offence covers the use of both illegal and prescribed medication. So if you are currently taking any form of medication, prescribed or otherwise, check that you are able to drive following its use, or you could be placing yourself, your passengers and other members of the public at risk. Many cold and flu medicines induce drowsiness and will increase your risk of collision should you drive. If in doubt consult a doctor or pharmacist.