Bank Holidays and Motoring Offences – Don’t Take Unnecassary Risks
With the May bank holidays fast approaching, people have a tendency to take to the roads for various occasions due to their extra day free of work. Whether it’s visiting family and friends, a getaway for a couple of days or just a day out; people tend to make use of the weekend and potentially over indulge in alcohol too and sometimes this can lead to them committing a motoring offence.
The combination of time off and over indulgence can sometimes lead to motorists taking unnecessary risks when it comes to driving that they wouldn’t often take, and these risks can have a huge impact on the life of the offender. Motoring offences can have huge consequences, from financial costs in the form of fines, points or loss of a license and depending on severity of the case; they can result in loss of freedom through a prison sentence.
A key example of when police forces mount a more concentrated effort on their anti drink-driving campaigns is the Christmas period and other holiday seasons. It is important to maintain the same standard of driving that you would take at any other time, as the levels of traffic on the road are likely to be higher, and extra due care and attention are potentially going to be needed.
Another consideration is that if you have consumed alcohol or drugs the previous day it takes time for them to leave your system, with suggested figures of around 1 unit of alcohol taking approximately 1 hour to leave your system after you stop drinking, then it is important to be cautious when driving the next day.
In terms of motoring offences, it is not just drink driving that will be clamped down on. With the roads busier, and traffic moving slower, there may be temptation to use a mobile phone or other handheld device in traffic. However many forces around the country are focused on cutting out this kind of behaviour in drivers and as such, it is better to not take the risk of using such devices, to avoid any unnecessary problems with the law.
If accused of committing a motoring offence then it is important to, firstly, understand what you have been accused of, and secondly, to seek help from a trained and experienced professional depending on the severity of the case, or any mitigating circumstances surrounding the offence you have been accused of. For example, drink driving in the case of emergency, or if you were spiked and could prove you were not drinking.
Overall it is probably always for the best to take extra care when driving on a bank holiday, and if you run into any legal troubles on the road, seek out expert motoring defence solicitor advice, in order to guide you through your difficulties and advise any potential loopholes that may help you avoid any unsavoury points or fines.
