Christmas drink driving

The festive season is a time for good cheer but all too often I see lives ruined because people have a few drinks before getting behind the wheel.
Drink-drive limit, the morning afterDrink-drive limit, the morning after
Drink-drive limit, the morning after

Too regularly I find myself sitting with clients at a police station with them telling me that they only had a couple and didn’t think they were over the limit. If you want to avoid this over Christmas the advice is simple: d on’t drive if you’ve had a single drop of alcohol.

Despite constant education campaigns and stories in the media motorists are still caught out by being over the limit the next morning. Just because your last drink was a few hours ago and you’ve slept since, it doesn’t mean the alcohol is out of your system. If you don’t want to lose you licence, or worse still injure yourself or innocent people, don’t take the risk. Just remember that an average of 240 people die every year as a result of drink driving. Don’t become a statistic.

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Another offence that is becoming all too common is people who refuse to give a reading as they think they will get away with it or it’s their right to abstain. This is wrong. The police don’t have to wait until you’ve had legal advice before they demand a specimen. If you refuse you can lose your licence, even if you weren’t over the limit.

Cherish your moments with your friends and family this Christmas and enjoy all of the delights that come with the festivities. Just don’t drink and drive or it will be a Christmas you will never forget, but for all the wrong reasons.

Paul Reddy

Road traffic defence lawyer at Slater and Gordon