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Surry Hills NSW 2010
Email: bondijunctioncriminalandfamilylawyers@outlook.com
Telephone 0424349347
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We have appeared in hundreds of drink driving and drug driving matters in Local Courts all over the Sydney metropolitan area. In NSW, police have the powers to stop drivers at random to test for alcohol consumption. If you are asked by police to undertake a breath test and subsequently obtain a reading that is higher that your allowed Prescribed Concentration of Alcohol (PCA) limit, you are likely to be arrested and charged with one of the following:
Blood Alcohol Levels
There are several ways that you may have a drink driving charge dismissed against you or possibly reduce
the charge, eg. a High Range PCA to a Mid Range or having a Mid Range PCA reduced to a Low Range:
Drink and Drug Driving Penalties in New South Wales
Road Transport Act 2013 NSW Division 2 - Offences involving alcohol or other drugs
110. Presence of prescribed concentration of alcohol in
person's breath or blood
111. Presence of certain drugs (other than alcohol) in oral fluid,
blood or urine
111A. Presence of both prescribed illicit drug in person's
oral fluid, blood or urine and prescribed concentration of alcohol in
person's breath or blood
112. Use or attempted use of a vehicle under the influence of
alcohol or any other drug
113. Detention of vehicle in certain cases
114. Testing for alcohol and other drug use
Driving Under the Influence
You can be charged with Driving under the Influence (DUI) if you are driving while affected by illegal or prescription drugs or alcohol. Drugs are detected through blood and urine tests which are ordered if a police officer has reasonable suspicion that a driver is under the influence of a drug or drugs.
If you're issued with an alcohol interlock order, the disqualification period may be different from what is in this table.
Penalties
Fines
First Offence: Maximum Court imposed Fine: $3300
Second Offence: Maximum Court imposed Fine: $5500
Maximum prison term
First Offence: 18 Months
Second Offence: 2 Years
Minimum disqualification
First Offence: 12 Months
Second Offence: 2 Years
Maximum disqualification
First Offence: Unlimited
Second Offence: Unlimited
Automatic disqualification
(a disqualification period that applies in the absence of a specific court order)
First Offence: 3 years
Second Offence: 5 Years
Police can charge you with a drug driving offence if a roadside drug test detects illegal drugs in your system. The roadside drug test takes a saliva sample. The test can occur at roadside random drug testing, or if you are stopped by police.
The roadside drug test takes a saliva sample and can detect the presence of:
If illegal drugs are detected, the test will be repeated. If the test is still positive, you will be required to take additional laboratory tests including blood tests or urine samples. These test results can take longer to process than a saliva test. You must not drive while waiting for the test results.
If the test confirms the presence of illegal drugs, you will be charged with a drug driving offence.
See 'Driving under the influence' below for related offences.
You will be charged with a drug driving offence if you are caught driving with the presence of any of these drugs in your oral fluid, blood or urine:
If you take prescription or over-the-counter medicines, you must follow medical advice and the manufacturer's instructions. If you are concerned about whether you can drive safely while taking certain medication, discuss it with your doctor.
Penalties
Penalty Notice Fine
First Offence: $581
Second Offence: N/A
Licence suspension (if offence is dealt with through a penalty notice)
First Offence: 3 Months
Second Offence: N/A
Minimum disqualification
First Offence: 12 Months
Second Offence: 2 Years
Maximum court- imposed fine
First Offence: $2200
Second Offence: $3300
Minimum disqualification
First Offence: 3 months
Second Offence: 6 months
Maximum disqualification
First Offence: 6 months
Second Offence: Unlimited
Automatic disqualification
(a disqualification period that applies in the absence of a specific court order)
First Offence: 6 months
Second Offence: 12 months
You will be charged with this offence if you are caught driving with the presence of morphine in your blood or urine (unless you can prove it's for medical use).
Maximum court- imposed fine
First Offence: $2200
Second Offence: $3300
Minimum disqualification
First Offence: 3 months
Second Offence: 6 months
Maximum disqualification
First Offence: 6 months
Second Offence: Unlimited
Automatic disqualification
(a disqualification period that applies in the absence of a specific court order)
First Offence: 6 months
Second Offence: 12 months
If you reach or exceed the limit for demerit points within a 3 year period, your licence will be suspended.
Read more about demerit points.
Police may immediately suspend and confiscate your licence for the following offences:
Police can suspend and confiscate a licence either on the spot or within 48 hours of a person being charged or issued a penalty notice for a relevant offence. This means you may have to arrange for your vehicle to be collected by someone else.
Where a person is charged by police with one of the offences, the suspension will remain until the offence is heard by a court. If you are convicted and disqualified by the court, the court will take the period you have served under suspension when imposing the disqualification period into account.
If you are issued with a penalty notice for a lower range drink driving offence, the suspension will apply for 3 months.
If you are issued a penalty notice for speeding in excess of 45 km/h over the limit, the suspension will apply for six months.
If you hold a learner or provisional licence and are issued a penalty notice for speeding in excess of 30 km/h but not more than 45 km/h over the limit, or a learner driver driving unaccompanied by a supervising driver, the suspension will apply for a three months.
Camera-detected excessive speed offences are not included in the immediate licence suspension scheme. Roads and Maritime Services may apply a suspension following payment of the penalty notice.
You have the right to appeal the immediate licence suspension at a local court.
You must lodge the appeal with a court within 28 days of being issued the suspension notice. You can file online, or go to a NSW local court. A fee is payable to the court when lodging an appeal.
Unless the court in the meantime orders otherwise, you must not drive unless the court upholds your appeal.
If you are a visiting driver and do not hold a NSW driver licence, your permission to drive in NSW can be withdrawn under the same provisions.
See Visiting NSW for more information about driving in NSW on an interstate or overseas licence.
If a court disqualifies you from driving, your licence will be automatically cancelled.
Disqualified from driving means you cannot drive a vehicle at all until the period of disqualification or cancellation has expired and a licence is reissued.
There are heavy penalties for driving while disqualified or cancelled, including jail terms.
Multiple disqualifications for unauthorised driving offences will be able to run concurrently, unless otherwise ordered by the court.
A driver licence suspension issued by the police for certain serious driving offences will start immediately and before any other suspension on the licence.
Drivers who have long disqualification periods may be able to apply for their disqualification periods to be lifted by the court. See Licence disqualification reforms for more information.
Police can impound vehicles and confiscate number plates from drivers who continue driving unlicensed or disqualified.
Vehicles will be impounded for a period of three months when a disqualified driver is caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 30km/h.
Police will also impound a vehicle for six months when a disqualified driver commits an offence.
Number plates can also be confiscated for three or six months depending on the offence.
Click this link to read the Guideline Judgment which guides the Courts on how to approach sentencing a person convicted of High Range Drink Driving: High Range Drinking Driving Guideline Judgement.htm
The NSW Traffic Offender's Intervention Program
From 20 May 2019, tougher penalties apply for lower range drink driving offences, and for driving with the presence of an illicit drug.
The change is part of a number of reforms in the Road Safety Plan 2021 to reduce alcohol and drug related trauma on NSW roads.
If you reach or exceed the limit for demerit points within a 3 year period, your licence will be suspended.
Read more about demerit points.
Police may immediately suspend and confiscate your licence for the following offences:
Police can suspend and confiscate a licence either on the spot or within 48 hours of a person being charged or issued a penalty notice for a relevant offence. This means you may have to arrange for your vehicle to be collected by someone else.
Where a person is charged by police with one of the offences, the suspension will remain until the offence is heard by a court. If you are convicted and disqualified by the court, the court will take the period you have served under suspension when imposing the disqualification period into account.
If you are issued with a penalty notice for a lower range drink driving offence, the suspension will apply for 3 months.
If you are issued a penalty notice for speeding in excess of 45 km/h over the limit, the suspension will apply for six months.
If you hold a learner or provisional licence and are issued a penalty notice for speeding in excess of 30 km/h but not more than 45 km/h over the limit, or a learner driver driving unaccompanied by a supervising driver, the suspension will apply for a three months.
Camera-detected excessive speed offences are not included in the immediate licence suspension scheme. Roads and Maritime Services may apply a suspension following payment of the penalty notice.
You have the right to appeal the immediate licence suspension at a local court.
You must lodge the appeal with a court within 28 days of being issued the suspension notice. You can file online, or go to a NSW local court. A fee is payable to the court when lodging an appeal.
Unless the court in the meantime orders otherwise, you must not drive unless the court upholds your appeal.
Demerit points and fines also apply to speeding offences.
If you are a visiting driver and do not hold a NSW driver licence, your permission to drive in NSW can be withdrawn under the same provisions.
See Visiting NSW for more information about driving in NSW on an interstate or overseas licence.
If a court disqualifies you from driving, your licence will be automatically cancelled.
Disqualified from driving means you cannot drive a vehicle at all until the period of disqualification or cancellation has expired and a licence is reissued.
There are heavy penalties for driving while disqualified or cancelled, including jail terms.
Multiple disqualifications for unauthorised driving offences will be able to run concurrently, unless otherwise ordered by the court.
A driver licence suspension issued by the police for certain serious driving offences will start immediately and before any other suspension on the licence.
Drivers who have long disqualification periods may be able to apply for their disqualification periods to be lifted by the court. See Licence disqualification reforms for more information.
Police can impound vehicles and confiscate number plates from drivers who continue driving unlicensed or disqualified.
Vehicles will be impounded for a period of three months when a disqualified driver is caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 30km/h.
Police will also impound a vehicle for six months when a disqualified driver commits an offence.
Number plates can also be confiscated for three or six months depending on the offence.
Habitual Offenders
Drink & Drug Driving - Bondi Junction Criminal and Family Lawyers