Drink Driving & Drug Driving Offences

In almost all cases, a conviction for a drink driving or drug driving offence will result in you being disqualified from driving for at least one year. There can also be serious criminal penalties, including a fine and/or prison sentence depending on the offence.

These types of offences can have a huge impact on your life and your family, including costing you your job and your freedom, so it is essential to get the right legal advice and representation at the earliest opportunity.

A good criminal defence lawyer can potentially see you avoid charges, help you have charges dismissed or allow you to secure reduced penalties where a conviction cannot be avoided.

You should never speak to the police about a drink driving or drug driving offence without a solicitor present.

As specialists in road traffic law, the Criminal Defence team at Renshaw Derrick have earned an unrivalled reputation in Bournemouth, Dorset and the surrounding area for the high quality of our legal advice, the results we achieve and the exceptional personal support we offer to our clients.

For more than two decades, we have successfully defended clients facing charges and prosecution for all types of drink driving and drug driving offences, including the most serious offences such as causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs.

We know how worrying and confusing it can be to find yourself facing these types of serious criminal charges, but our team are here to provide clear, practical advice in plain English and robust representation to help you achieve the best possible outcome for your situation.

To speak to one of our motoring offences defence solicitors in Bournemouth about a drink driving or drug driving offence, please contact our office or email mail@renshawderrick.co.uk.

What our drink driving and drug driving defence solicitors can do for you

If you find yourself facing charges or prosecution for a drink driving or drug driving offence, our specialist criminal defence solicitors can:

Represent you during a police interview, ensuring you do not say or do anything to unintentionally harm your defence
Meticulously assess your case for any procedural irregularities that could see you avoid charges or have charges dropped
Review all evidence thoroughly and ensure no angle of defence is overlooked to help you avoid conviction where possible
Emphasise any mitigating circumstances that could see you receive reduced penalties where conviction cannot be avoided

Types of drink driving and drug driving offences we can help with

Drink driving offences

Our drink driving defence solicitors in Bournemouth can provide expert advice and representation for offences including:

Being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal limit or unfit through drink
Driving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit or unfit through drink
Refusing to provide a specimen of breath, blood or urine for analysis
Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink

Drug driving offences

Our drug driving defence solicitors in Bournemouth can assist with offences related to both prescription and illegal drugs, including:

Being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of drugs
Driving or attempting to drive while under the influence of drugs
Refusing to provide a specimen of breath, blood or urine for analysis
Causing death by dangerous driving under the influence of drugs

Your questions about drink driving and drug driving offences answered

Will I be disqualified from driving?

On conviction for a drink or drug driving offence, you will receive an automatic disqualification from driving for at least 1 year.

For an offence of causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, you will receive an automatic driving ban of at least 2 years.

Once the disqualification period is over, you will need to apply for a new driving licence. Depending on the seriousness of the offence, you may need to retake your driving test or take an extended driving test before you can receive a new licence.

A conviction for drink or drug driving will remain visible on your licence for 11 years.

Is there any way to avoid a ban for drink driving or drug driving?

There is only one route to avoid a ban from driving following conviction for a drink or drug driving offence, which is to make the argument of ‘exceptional hardship’. This is where losing the ability to drive would have significant negative consequences for you or others e.g. you would lose your job resulting in you becoming homeless or you operate a business which would have to close if you could not drive, resulting in other people losing their jobs.

The courts set a very high threshold for an argument of exceptional hardship, so there are relatively limited circumstances where such an argument is likely to be accepted. If you think you may be able to qualify for exceptional argument, it is essential to discuss this with your solicitor in advance so they can make sure your case for avoiding a ban is presented in the most effective way possible.

Can you get a driving ban reduced?

If you are convicted of a drink driving offence, you may be able to reduce the length of any driving disqualification by taking a drink-drive rehabilitation scheme (DDRS) course. This option has to be offered by the court which is not guaranteed, especially for more serious drink driving offences.

Why choose our drink driving and drug driving defence solicitors?

Renshaw Derrick is one of the leading criminal defence firms in the Bournemouth and Dorset area with particular expertise in all types of motoring offences, including those related to drink driving and drug driving.

We can offer you our skills and exceptional judgement honed by years of experience successfully defending clients under even the most challenging circumstances.

The team is headed up by Partner Dwayne Lewis, a highly experienced criminal defence solicitor who has represented clients in police stations and in courts for many years. Every member of our team is an expert in criminal law, so you can be confident you are always being defended by a solicitor with specific expertise relevant to your circumstances.

With qualified police station representatives, duty solicitors and lawyers with Higher Rights of Audience for criminal cases, we can support and represent you at every stage of proceedings, from initial police interview, through to court hearings where required.

As a firm, we are accredited by the Law Society in Criminal Litigation for our high level of criminal defence services, with our accredited members including Dwayne Lewis, Selina Goddard, and Ewa Russell.

Renshaw Derrick is independently regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Get in touch with our drink driving and drug driving offences solicitors today

To speak to one of our motoring offences defence solicitors in Bournemouth about a drink driving or drug driving offence, please contact our office or email mail@renshawderrick.co.uk.