Strict Drink Driving Laws - Drink Driving Penalties in UK

What types of penalties can apply for alcohol-related actions?

Drink driving

There are strict drink driving laws, with harsh drink driving penalties applying. There are a range of drink driving offences, depending on the amount of alcohol in the blood, with harsher drink driving penalties being imposed for higher blood alcohol readings. Drink driving penalties will also be much higher if someone is injured due to your drink driving; you should certainly contact a specialist criminal law solicitor if this has occurred. The Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 strengthened police powers in order to deal with a range of alcohol-related behaviour and offences. The new rights included the right to issue on-the-spot fines for various offences including public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour while drunk in a public place. Further, local authorities were given the power to designate public places as alcohol-free zones and the police now have the right to close licensed premises for up to 24 hours where people are not drinking responsibly and as a result it is likely there will be disorder.

Drunken behaviour

Under the the Licensing Act 1872 there are two different types of drunken behaviour. The first is a broad offence that can apply if an individual is intoxicated on a public highway (i.e. the street), a public place or even licensed premises. The second is drunkenness with aggravation, which includes refusing to leave a licensed premises when requested, or for being violent as a result of the intoxication.

Drinking in public places is also covered by the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 which gives the police the right to confiscate alcohol from under 18s drinking in public places (streets, parks, etc) who are creating disorder.

The Transport Act 1980 and the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 prohibit the possession of alcohol on trains and more specifically on the way to matches on football special coaches and trains and makes it an offence to be drunk on them. It is also an offence to enter a sporting ground when drunk or in possession of alcohol; the police the power to search someone reasonably suspected of committing an offence under the Act, and to arrest such a person.