The law on drug driving is simple; it is illegal to attempt to drive or drive under the influence of drugs. If driving under the influence of drugs, you can be faced with some hefty charges. Even prescription drugs have driving limits. If you are driving under the influence of drugs, you are likely to be prosecuted under Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act of 1988. England and Wales have a nearly zero-tolerance policy to drug driving. Instead of the legal limit being set to zero, with limits to accidental exposure. Otherwise, you can be charged with driving under the influence of drugs if drugs are detected in your bloodstream.
Police have the authority to stop your car and test you if they are concerned you are impaired by drugs or alcohol. They may do a series of tests on you on the spot, and blood and urine tests may be carried out if necessary back at the station.
What are the charges?
If you are found driving under the influence of drugs, you can face 3-11 penalty points on your license, an unlimited penalty and an obligatory disqualification. For more severe offences, you can even find yourself with a prison sentence for up to 6 months. For very severe offences, like causing death to someone else due to driving under the influence of drugs, you can be put in prison for up to 14 years or will face at least an obligatory driving disqualification of 2 years.
What are the defences?
Our experienced motoring solicitors will apply a range of defences to help lower your penalties. If you were driving under the influence of a prescribed drug, you must be able to prove that, and you were taking them following accompanying instructions. Drugs, legal or illegal, can still be traced in your body for weeks or months after taking them. It can come as a severe shock when charged with drug driving as a law-abiding citizen. Our experienced motoring solicitors will help you ensure you get the lowest possible penalties for your charges.
As previously stated, police officers or a nurse may have to carry out a range of tests and an extensive procedure to prove you were driving under the influence. Our solicitors know this procedure well, and when carried out incorrectly, the results can be invalid. Contact our motoring experts now to find out whether our solicitors can help you lower your penalties.
Our Fees
If you would like to find out how much we charge for motoring offences, visit our fees page now. We advise that every case is varied and so are the charges. The costs for your case will be determined during your initial consultation, with one of our motoring experts. We also offer payments plans for all our clients. That means that you can pay the costs over some time.
Contact our solicitors now!
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