What Amounts to a Mobile Hand-Held Device? A mobile hand held device is ‘any device that performs an interactive communication function’ which must be held at some point. This is a very legalistic definition, and it may not really provide the...
Motoring Law Defence News
Drink Drive Limits in the UK The drink drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. In Scotland, the drink drive limit is lower at 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. ...
You cannot refuse a breath test unless you have a ‘reasonable excuse’ for doing so. If you refuse a breath test without good cause, you could be arrested and charged with failing to provide a specimen. When can the police demand a breath test? ...
If you get six or more penalty points within two years of passing your driving test, your licence will be revoked. You will then revert to being a learner driver and you must take both your theory and practical driving tests again. New drivers and penalty...
Driving without valid insurance cover is an offence in the UK. But what if you genuinely thought that you had insurance, and there was no way you could have known otherwise? Driving with no insurance Such situations do happen. If it has happened to you,...
Being drunk in charge of a vehicle is a criminal offence in the UK. It means being in control of a vehicle while you are in excess of the prescribed limit for alcohol or drugs. Drunk in charge of a vehicle This might leave you wondering what it means to...
You can be stopped on suspicion of drink driving at any time of year, but this is particularly true during the festive period when the police tend to step up drink driving campaigns. In particular, the police are extra vigilant about catching people who...
If you are disqualified from driving, you must reapply for your driving licence before you are legally allowed to drive again. The process depends on whether you are considered a ‘high risk offender’ or not. High risk offenders If you are a...
Careless driving is when the standard of driving falls below an acceptable standard, whereas dangerous driving is when the standard of driving falls far below an acceptable standard. So, dangerous driving is a much more serious offence, and as such has much...
A totting up disqualification is when you accumulate 12 or more penalty points on your licence, resulting in an automatic driving ban. Totting up bans explained When you commit a motor offence, your licence will normally be endorsed with penalty points....
Sampling wine, local beers, and other alcoholic beverages can be a highlight of a holiday. The laws around drinking, however, can make this trickier than you would think. From knowing the rules for drinking on an airplane to avoiding drink driving ...
The festive season is filled with fun, parties, and events. It is also a popular time for drink driving campaigns . This means your odds of being stopped can go up, just at the time you are most likely to be experiencing more celebrations that involve...
As you prepare to visit family over the holidays or enjoy a tropical getaway, you are probably focused on finding the best travel deal or which is the best day to fly . Here is what you need to know to avoid your carefully planned travel going terribly...
Holidays are for lounging on the beach, splashing in the pool, sipping cocktails against the blushing sunset and savouring delicacies at a local taverna or inn. They are not for spending a few days of your holiday with your head spinning and feeling like...
Perhaps you’ve been planning your dream holiday for years. Maybe you booked it at the last minute when you saw a sale. Either way, you’ll want to make the most of your trip. Here’s what you need to know to be prepared in case problems do...
It is never too soon to start planning your next travels. If you are planning holiday trips for the months ahead, there’s no time like the present, but don’t let your excitement lead you to making any errors of judgement. If you do experience...
This is not a question that you will ever want to ask yourself “after the event”. So, before you face any drink driving charges , let’s consider just how badly a mistake can affect your career. Naturally, it’s best to avoid...
One of the most wonderful feelings in the world is the freedom that a motorcar gives us. We are not talking about the daily commute here mind, far from it. Think instead of driving down open roads, seeing sights that we have never seen before, taking in...
To create safer roads, with fewer accidents and fatalities, motor companies have been working on smart ways to make our cars safer. Here’s a rundown of some of the innovations that could be hitting UK roads in the near future. V2V communication ...
No-one likes to consider the idea that they might get stopped by the police – especially if they have indeed committed drink driving offence. The repercussions of such an event could range from a few points on your licence and small fine to a...
The way in which drink driving is viewed from one part of the world to another can vary enormously. Some countries have not made the kinds of efforts that have brought about the huge cultural shift in driving under the influence that we have seen in the...
You know what they say about statistics? That’s right, they can prove whatever you want them to, it just depends on how you ask the question. Yet it’s difficult to deny the compelling nature of UK drink driving stats and the great strides...
The amount of alcohol as a proportion of a person’s blood is the usual method of assessing whether somebody is legally allowed to be in control of a vehicle. Alcohol consumption is often measured with a breathalyser due to the immediacy of the...
Improvements in technology are attempting to solve many of the world’s problems. Education can now reach those that would otherwise have no access to it. Revolutionary changes in energy will reduce our environmental impact, and advances in machine...
The campaigns used in the UK have been effective at reducing the number of deaths from drink driving, despite UK drink driving law remaining largely unchanged throughout the corresponding period. Yet behaviour change is without doubt a complex field,...
A large proportion of traffic accidents are caused because the driver is inhibited by alcohol, and for young Europeans, drink driving is one of the main causes of death. It is for this reason that it is standard procedure to test any driver that has...
Topping a poll is often a good thing. However, when it comes to topping a poll for drink driving charges or under the UK Drink Driving Laws, it is probable that nobody would want to “win” that prize. However, as with every study, there have to...
The police can stop any vehicle at any time and ask to see, or have you produce, your documents. However, that does not automatically mean that having stopped you that you have to give a breath test. There are very strict guidelines that the police must...
Nobody wants to be convicted for drink driving. Even if you do not know the ins and outs of UK drink driving law, you realise that such a conviction will have a profoundly negative impact on your life. However, it is probable that most people...
UK drink driving law has some of the severest penalties across the whole of Europe. It is also a little more complicated than we each may think. For example the limits differ in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK (being more in line with European...
Across the UK, there are certain areas where the prevalence of drink driving is considerably higher than others. Of course, there will be many factors as to why these localised drink driving pain points exist – population size, and indeed the size...
You’re driving along, happily minding your business, when behind you see the thing we dread the most, a set of flashing police lights. This would ring alarm bells for most people straight away, but what of those who have just left the pub after a...
The reality is that there is a large number of possible outcomes when it comes to driving under the influence, and circumstances can vary massively. You could face a hefty fine, be banned and you could even be imprisoned if you are found guilty of driving...
Despite all the television adverts and campaigns, despite the fact that society has long since lost its supposed tolerance of drink driving, and despite the fact that individuals are aware of the risks and consequences, mistakes still happen, and drink...
UK Drink Driving Laws carry severe penalties upon conviction, including a none discretionary 12 month driving ban. However, their application and moreover the role of the Police in their initial stop, and breath testing, is subject to stringent...
If you’ve ever received a fixed penalty notice or been stopped by the police and asked to give a breath sample, you’ll know the feeling of mild panic as you try to make sense of where you stand and work out what to expect. With a fixed penalty...
A drink driving conviction can have catastrophic consequences for an individual. The loss of their driving licence, coupled with a large fine and even possible jail time can hugely impact on the day to day life of those that are convicted. Here however we...
The UK is of course made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but there are discrepancies between jurisdictions. Scotland, once had a parity with the rest but has lowered its limits for drink driving. It is entirely possible, that you...
Despite television campaigns and the stigma of conviction, drink driving is still prevalent in society. Some argue it to be a victimless crime, “I only had 2 pints”, but nothing could be further from the truth. The focus should not look at the...
Bet you don’t know what the only scientifically proved cure is for sobering up, why we know that 2011 was a massive year for hangovers, or what could happen if you get into a toy car on the back of any more than a couple of pints of lager or glasses...
8.59pm Ian parks up and meets Mark and Rob, who both arrived using public transport, at the Rose and Crown. They quickly find a table and Ian goes to the bar. He orders one large red wine for himself, a pint of Stella Artois for Mark and a Strongbow...
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Blue lights swirl, headlamps flash, a siren sounds: you've just been pulled over, and what happens next is in the lap of the gods. Only, it's not: what happens next could depend on how you conduct yourself. So take advice from experienced ...
During the Christmas and New Year period it's traditional to have work parties, have a few drinks and unwind after another busy year. But with this comes the increased risk of your employees being over the legal limit for driving your company...
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Wearable tech, virtual reality, and now extremely large, 5-door breathalysers. You will have probably heard already of the smart cars on the horizon – Google's own recently hit the headlines for hitting a bus (no alcohol involved according to...
The Department for Transport has recently drawn upon some alarming statistics to illustrate the dangers of driving the morning the after. According to the government department, in the region of 5,500 motorists fail morning breath tests each year ,...
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 ensures that all employees, contractors, visitors and members of the public are protected from risk of illness and injury whilst in and around your workplace. As an employer you have a responsibility to make...
England and Wales Drink Drive Limit Could Be Lowered The drink drive limits for England and Wales are higher than those in many other European countries, and there has been a growing amount of concern among road safety experts that a review of those...
Shared Parental Leave legislation will be introduced in England, Scotland and Wales inApril this year. The government aims to extend the same rights for caring for anew born baby or adopted child to both mother and father, giving a more flexibility approach...
It has been estimated that mis-sold PPI repayments could reach a collective 11 billion by the end of the year. Early estimates predict that numbers of claimants could rise this year with the cost to banks being huge. The Telegraph reports that...
With the University terms beginning at the end of September, many foreign students who have applied to study in the UK will be looking to finalise their Visa applications. The UK government has warned students who turn to fast track Visa companies to be wary...
When an individual is found guilty of a motoring offence they are issued with points on their licence. These points remain on record for a period of 3 years, whereby if you exceed 12 points you will be disqualified from driving. Quite recently we dealt with...
The Government has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration into the United Kingdom. However, some of the tactics used in the past few weeks have been condemned by both members of the public and political figures for their seemingly low levels of respect...
We often encounter misconceptions about personal injury claims, and some of these misconceptions can deter people from picking up the phone and getting in touch. The truth is, there is often a lot of negative press about the so called compensation...
Last week we commented on the misleading nature of statistics published by leading insurers regarding measures to reduce fraudulent whiplash claims. Since then many other organisations have spoken out about the "bias" being shown by insurers...
A recent increase in whiplash claims has prompted calls for the laws on compensation to be reformed by some insurers. Their concern lies with the amount of money awarded in whiplash cases; there are suggestions that this is too high. There may, however,...
Life sentences are a sensitive matter, not least due to the complicated implications this has on a persons human rights. A whole life order states that one can only be released from prison at the Justice Secretary's discretion, and this will only...
Back in February of this year, a new legislation was ushered in by the State of Florida . The law stated that any foreign visitors wishing to drive in Florida must carry an International Drivers Permit (IDP). The IDP was to be purchased for...