Injured in a road traffic accident by a Drink Driver?

Drink driving has been in the news recently following the arrest of Ant McPartlin on charges of drink driving following a three-car crash in South West London.

Drink driving is viewed by the majority in our society as being unacceptable but despite this view 85,000 people are still convicted of drink driving related offences each and every year in the UK, with 85% of those convicted being male.

The problem with driving under the influence of alcohol is that drivers are given a false sense of confidence that affects their reaction times, their judgment of speed and distances and their ability to concentrate. On average 3,681 people are seriously injured and 940 people killed in drink driving related accidents in Great Britain each year.

The legal drink drive limit is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, 35mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath and 107mg of alcohol per 100ml of urine. If you are caught driving whilst over the limit then you could be banned from driving for 12 months, fined up to £5,000 or be faced with six months’ imprisonment and a criminal record.

If you have been injured in a road traffic accident and you suspect the driver is under the influence of alcohol you should contact the Police and request they attend the scene. The Police will be able to breathalyse the individual at the scene and if necessary will take them to the Police Station and take blood tests.

 

At Aston Knight Solicitors, local solicitors in Bury, we have specialist experience of acting for victims of drink driving road traffic accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured by a drink driver, please contact us today on 0800 999 6661 or email info@astonknightsolicitors.co.uk

By Emma Pearce, Solicitor