Drink Driving Solicitors
At Draycott Browne, our experienced team of Drink Driving Solicitors provides strategic and robust legal defence for individuals facing prosecution for drink driving offences. From the initial police investigation through to representation in court, we act with urgency and precision to protect your driving licence, your reputation and your future.
Facing allegations of drink driving can be a deeply stressful experience. The penalties can be severe, including disqualification from driving, significant financial penalties and the risk of imprisonment. With more than 20 years of experience defending clients across Greater Manchester and throughout England and Wales, our Drink and Drive Solicitors are known for delivering outstanding results in even the most complex and serious cases.
Our team includes some of the most respected Drunk Driving Lawyers in the North West. We have represented clients in a wide range of cases including excess alcohol, failing to provide a specimen, drunk in charge, and drink driving resulting in injury or death. We understand how these cases are built by the prosecution and we know how to challenge the evidence effectively at every stage.
Draycott Browne is recognised by the Law Society through its Criminal Litigation Accreditation and we are fully authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. These accreditations reflect our commitment to excellence and our standing as one of the leading criminal defence firms in the country.
If you have been arrested or expect to face charges, early legal advice is essential. Acting quickly gives you the best chance of avoiding a conviction and may help you retain your licence. We are available to represent you at the police station 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
To speak with one of our specialist Drink Driving Solicitors, contact us on +44 (0)161 228 2244 or complete the contact form on this page to request a confidential call back.
How can our Drink Driving Solicitors Help?
At Draycott Browne, we recognise the serious impact that drink driving allegations can have on your personal and professional life. The loss of your driving licence could result in unemployment, financial instability and long-term damage to your reputation. Our experienced Drink Driving Solicitors are here to help you defend your case and protect your future.
With over two decades of experience and a reputation for excellence in defending motoring offences, we have the technical expertise and legal insight required to challenge drink driving prosecutions effectively. Whether you are facing a first offence or have prior convictions, our goal is to minimise the impact on your life.
We provide comprehensive support at every stage of proceedings. Our team can:
- Represent you at the police station, ensuring your rights are protected from the outset
- Challenge the reliability of roadside breathalyser tests and evidential samples
- Identify errors in police procedure that could lead to charges being dropped
- Build strong legal arguments to mitigate penalties or avoid disqualification
- Represent you robustly in court, including magistrates’ and crown court hearings
- Negotiate alternatives to disqualification such as drink driving rehabilitation courses
- Apply for exceptional hardship if a driving ban would cause severe personal or professional consequences
- Explore technical defences including post-driving alcohol consumption, medical conditions or procedural irregularities
Our legal team has successfully defended hundreds of clients against Drink Driving Charges, often resulting in reduced penalties, acquittals or cases being discontinued entirely. We are proud to offer strategic, discreet and effective representation tailored to your individual circumstances.
If you have been accused of drink driving, do not delay in seeking expert legal advice. Time is a critical factor, and early intervention can have a significant impact on the outcome of your case.
Specialist expertise in defending all types of drink driving offences.
Our Expert Drink Driving Defence Solicitors
What is the Legal Alcohol Limit to Drive?
When you are suspected of drink driving, you will be subject to either a breath, blood or urine test. This test measures the amount of alcohol present in your system, and will determine whether you are over any of the following legal limits.
- Breath: Maximum of 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath
- Blood: Maximum of 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of blood
- Urine: Maximum of 107 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of urine
What are the Penalties for Drink Driving?
The penalties for drink driving can differ greatly depending on the charges against you. Common drink driving-related offences include:
- Being in charge of a vehicle whilst over the legal limit
- Driving or attempting to drive whilst over the legal limit
- Refusing to provide a specimen
- Death through careless driving whilst over the legal limit
Charges for drink driving cases vary from a 12 month disqualification to 14 years' imprisonment. Speak to our motoring offence lawyers to gain expert advice on what penalty you could receive.
Additional Drink Driving Consequences
If you have been convicted of a drink driving offence, it is likely you will suffer additional consequences such as:
- An increase in car insurance
- Difficulty travelling overseas due to a criminal record
- Your conviction being made visible to your employers
Due to the serious repercussions of drink driving cases, it is imperative you seek the help of a solicitor as soon as possible. Our specialist Drink Driving Solicitors will help you gain the best possible outcome for your case.
How Long will a Drink Driving Conviction Stay on my Licence?
If you are charged with drunk driving, the court is obliged to put an endorsement on your driving licence which will remain there for 11 years after the time of conviction. See below for offences which correspond to drink driving charges along with the number of penalty points which may be put on your licence by the court.
- DR10 - Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit - 3 to 11
- DR20 - Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink - 3 to 11
- DR30 - Driving or attempting to drive then failing to supply a specimen for analysis - 3 to 11
- DR31 - Driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity - 3 to 11
Drink Driving Charges
If the police have taken a sample of your breath, urine or blood and the result is positive, they will proceed with a charge. The charge will be read aloud to you. The police will also read aloud a warning about what you say from that point and how it may be given in evidence at a later date when you are in court. You will be asked to sign the charge and the police will provide you with a copy. In normal circumstances, you will be bailed to attend court on a date to be agreed.
If you are caught driving over the legal limit you are likely to face a fine and a penalty on your driving licence. You could also face a driving ban or even a prison sentence. Each situation is different, and it is up to the magistrates court to listen to your case and determine the outcome.
Excess Alcohol
The amount of alcohol you need to drink in order to be over the prescribed limit varies from person to person. This is due to the fact that no two people are the same, and contributing factors which change the effects of alcohol on your body. The level of intoxication you experience depends of the following:
- Your age, gender, weight and metabolism.
- The type, amount and speed at which you are drinking.
- What you’ve eaten and how recently you’ve eaten.
- Stress levels you are experiencing.
For an average male the legal limit is likely to be 4 units of alcohol (equivalent to 2 pints of beer), with the limit for an average woman likely to be 3 units (equivalent to 1 large glass of wine).
Drunk in Charge
The law states that it is illegal to be in control of a vehicle whilst over the legal alcohol limit. In some cases the police cannot prove that you were driving a vehicle, or intended to, whilst under the influence of alcohol (for example if you’d gotten out before they arrived). However it is possible to prove that you were in control of it. The court uses this law to ensure that people do not avoid deserved convictions due to insufficient evidence.
The penalty for drunk driving depends on the specific situation but could be from 10 penalty points on your driver's licence to 6 weeks in prison. When charging someone with a Drunk in Charge offence, the police take into consideration your distance from the vehicle and what you were doing at the time, as well as whether you had the ignition key, and any other evidence that you may have been about to drive the vehicle.
If you have been charged with a Drunk in Charge offence, contact Draycott Browne.
Our specialist Drink Driving Solicitors will be able to analyse the circumstances and details of the situation you found yourself in. We will ensure you are in the very best position to defend yourself.
Failing to Provide a Specimen
If a police officer suspects you of drink driving they will ask you to provide a sample of breath, urine or blood. Failing to do so without a reasonable excuse is a criminal offence. You may fail to provide a sample by refusing to do so, or if you do not provide sufficient breath for the analysis to be successfully carried out.
If you fail to give a breath sample, or refuse to do so, you will be arrested and taken to a police station. The court will have to assess your particular reasons for failing to give a specimen to decide how to proceed. The minimum penalty imposed would be a 12 month driving disqualification and a band B fine, which equates to 75 - 125% of your weekly income. The maximum penalty is a 5+ year driving disqualification and a 26 week custodial sentence.
Defending a Drink Driving Charge
If you have been charged with a drink driving offence you will have two options- to plead guilty and argue a particular reason for the minimum 12 month disqualification to not be imposed. Or to plead not guilty, and proceed with a trial.
The area of law that covers motoring offences is quite complicated as it involves some grey areas. For this reason is it important to appoint a professional for advice and representation. The solicitors at Draycott Browne have defended many different types of motoring law offences and will support you through each step of the process of defending you.
Breath Tests
A police officer does not have to be in uniform to request a breath test of you. However he does have to be in uniform to administer it unless following an accident. A police officer will request a breath test under the following circumstances:
- He has reasonable cause to suspect you are committing or have committed a moving traffic offence.
- He has reason to suspect that you are driving after having consumed alcohol, or you are about to attempt to drive the vehicle.
- He has reason to believe you were the person who was driving/attempting to drive or in charge of a vehicle which has been involved in an accident.
The police officer will ask you to provide two breath samples. If the readings are different he is obliged to take the lowest one and ignore the higher. If your reading is above the legal limit, you will be charged for committing an offence.
Very specific protocols have to be followed when the police carry out a breath test, and if they are not adhered to properly you cannot be charged even if you were over the drink driving limit.
Specialist Drink Driving Solicitors
- 24/7 Availability
- Proven Success in High Profile Cases
- Non-Judgemental Representation Tailored to Your Situation
Protect your future with trusted, expert legal defence—contact Draycott Browne’s Drunk Driving today.
24 Hour Availability
If you or a loved one has been arrested on motoring law charges, you should not hesitate to call us at the earliest possible opportunity. Our solicitors are on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ready to assist you at the police station after your arrest. We will advise you on what to say, liaise with police and ensure that you are treated fairly.
Legal Aid
Arrests can be unexpected, and therefore you may not have the funds to pay for legal help. However, our service, at the police station, is free at the point of delivery, meaning we will provide our services to anyone in need of our help.
You may also be eligible to receive legal aid, helping you to pay any legal fees incurred. Our solicitors will guide you through the legal aid application process, ensuring you have the best possible chance of receiving the funds you need to get the highest level of legal representation.
Private Funding
At Draycott Browne, we continue to support clients who are eligible for Legal Aid, particularly during police station interviews where representation is free at the point of delivery. However, it is important to understand that Legal Aid may not be available for all drink driving prosecutions and can place limitations on the level of support and resources that can be provided throughout your case.
Choosing to fund your drink driving defence privately ensures that you receive the highest standard of legal advice and representation. It allows our experienced Drink Driving Solicitors to dedicate the time, attention and strategic input that is often crucial in securing a favourable outcome.
With private funding, our team can undertake a thorough analysis of the prosecution’s evidence, identify any procedural failings, and instruct independent experts where necessary to challenge forensic results. It enables us to explore all possible defences, assess whether an exceptional hardship argument may apply, and prepare comprehensive mitigation to reduce the risk of disqualification or custodial sentence.
If you are facing a drink driving allegation, we strongly recommend considering private funding to ensure your case receives the attention it deserves. In cases where your licence, career or reputation is on the line, the quality of your legal defence can make all the difference.
Contact our Drink Driving Solicitors
When faced with prosecution over a drink driving offence, it is crucial that you seek the best criminal defence representation available to you. We can help.
Our Drink Driving Solicitors are part of our wider, and nationally recognised team of expert criminal solicitors in Manchester. We are highly regarded across the legal profession and noted for consistently excellent results. Our Motoring Offence Solicitors possess a high degree of technical knowledge that will provide you with the quality you deserve in your legal representation.
We take great pride in our dedication and professionalism and are committed to achieving the best result possible for all of our clients. As one of the principal criminal law firms in the country, we will work tirelessly on your behalf, with an attention to detail and tenacity that is second to none, to ensure you have a strong and effective defence.
With your licence or liberty at stake, you cannot afford to settle for anything less than Draycott Browne and the quality legal representation our team provides.
If you or a loved one are seeking first-class legal advice and representation from experienced Motoring Offence Solicitors, talk to the team at Draycott Browne.