What penalties are there for drink driving?
There are four ranges of drink driving and the penalty differs depending on the specific type of drink driving committed. Drivers who are prohibited from having any alcohol in their system can receive 14 penalty units and/ or 3 months’ imprisonment with a mandatory disqualification of 3 months.
Low range drink driving is when your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is between 0.05 and 0.99. This may constitute 3 months’ imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of 14 penalty units with a mandatory one month disqualification period.
Mid-range drink driving is when your BAC is between 0.10 and 0.149. This constitutes 6 months’ imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of 20 penalty units with a mandatory 3 months’ disqualification period.
High range drink driving is when your BAC is above 0.15. This constitutes 9 months’ imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of 28 penalty units with a mandatory 6-month disqualification period. In addition, a high range drinking driving offence can lead to a complete disqualification of your driver’s license.
What if I have been charged with drink driving before?
If you have been charged with a drink driving offence in the past 5 years, and commit the offence again, you are classed as a ‘repeat offender’. As a result, your penalty may be increased. If you have been charged with three high range drink driving offences in the past 5 years, it is mandatory for the Court to impose imprisonment as a part of your sentence.
