Drunken drivers cause the death of over 3,000 people a year.  One in seven deaths on Britain´s roads is caused by drivers who drive while over the legal limit.  Everyone knows that drinking and driving is illegal but thousands of people continue to do it.  Covering Bury, Burnley, Manchester, Liverpool, Wigan, Preston, Bolton, Accrington, Darwen, Clitheroe, Rossendale, Colne, Keighley, and all towns in the northwest, Farnworth Rose Personal Injury Solicitors are well aware of the devastation caused by drunken drivers.

Many myths abound about safe amounts of alcohol to drink before driving.  The truth is – it is not safe to drive at all if you have consumed any amount of alcohol. 

Drinking and driving - legal alcohol limits

You are not legally allowed to drive if you have more than 35 milligrams of alcohol in your body to 100 millilitres of breath or 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.  It is impossible to work out how much alcohol can be consumed legally before driving.  For this reason alone, it is better to avoid alcohol altogether before getting behind the wheel. Thousands of personal injury claims for road accidents caused by drunken drivers are made every year in the UK.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Don´t drink and drive, ever!

Drinking and driving – the morning after

Contrary to rumour, there is no quick and easy way to eliminate alcohol from your system if you have been drinking the night before you drive.  Especially if you have been drinking heavily the night before, it is not safe to drive to work in the morning.  Police are increasingly stopping drivers who are still over the limit from the night before, and are putting themselves and other drivers at risk of personal injury and death from road traffic accidents.  Drivers can be particularly at risk in the morning, while trying to navigate the rush hour on the way to work.  Personal injury claims after road accidents in the mornings from drivers over the limit are also on the increase. And remember, the road accident does not need to be your fault.  If you are over the limit you will instantly find yourself to blame.

Breath tests and how they work

Police can and will stop you and breath test you  if you are involved in a car crash, even when it was not your fault, if you are trying to drive or start a vehicle after drinking alcohol, if you commit a motoring offence, and even if you are in charge of a vehicle that is stationary.

Severe penalties for drink driving

Penalties for drink driving can be severe.  If you cause a road accident you may be responsible for serious injury or death of a road user.  Even if you don´t cause an accident, if you are found to be driving while under the influence of alcohol (over the legal limit), penalties can also be severe.  Victims of any road accident caused by you while you are over the limit can also claim road accident personal injury compensation against you and your insurers.  If caught driving whilst over the legal alcohol limit:

You will be disqualified for a minimum of one year
You may be sent to prison and you will have a criminal record
Your insurance premiums will rise sharply
You will have to retake your driving test after your ban and carry out a rehabilitation order
If you cause death or serious injury you may go to prison for a long time and you will have to live with the consequences of your actions.

Driving under the influence of drugs

Drivers who risk the lives of other road users by driving under the influence of drugs are on the increase.  Drug-related accidents result in thousands of road traffic accident and personal injury compensation claims every year.  Police are a lot stricter on testing drugged drivers nowadays, and they will carry out tested impairment tests at the roadside which tell them if you are fit to drive.  Personal injury from road accidents caused by drug driving can be every bit as severe as those caused by drunken drivers.  If you are caught driving under the influence of drugs you will receive a one year driving ban, a fine of up to £5,000 and a possible 6 months in prison. 

After taking drugs or drinking alcohol, drivers are likely to have slower reaction times, suffer from sleepiness behind the wheel, over confidence which results in them taking risks and driving too fast, dizziness and distorted perception.  Accidents caused by drunk and drugged drivers can and does frequently result in death and serious injury to other road users.  The end result is not worth the risk, and personal injury and death can result in a lifetime of nightmares for the drunk or drugged drivers, plus a hefty compensation claim against them.

Farnworth Rose Personal Injury Solicitors can help you

100% compensation for you
£100.00 cash up front
No win no fee

If you have been unfortunate enough to be involved in a car accident that was not your fault, Farnworth Rose Personal Injury Solicitors can get you the compensation you deserve.  No claim is too big or too small and our aim is to claim your compensation as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you have suffered personal injury during the past three years after an accident caused by someone else, contact us today for free help and advice.  No cost to you and no obligation.  We work on a no win no fee basis, and we even pay you cash up front when we accept your claim.  You get 100% of the compensation.  Cut out the middlemen and call us free on 080001 54321 or fill in the online claim form.  You can claim up to £108,000 for a serious back injury and up to £16,000 for whiplash.

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