Drink Driving Facts and Statistics

Drink Driving Facts and Statistics

As professional drink driving lawyers we have found the truth around drink driving statistics to be quite startling. The points shown below are key statistics which outline the who, what and when of NSW drink driving incidents. This is important as the risks associated with drink driving are increasingly more evident within our community, and yet drink driving charges remain common. These drink driving facts and statistics highlight a real need for greater education, as the dangers of drink driving should not be considered lightly.

Key Drink Driving Statistics:

• 3.4 Million, Random Breath Tests (RBTs) were conducted by Police last year in NSW
• 90% of all drink driving accidents occur in rural areas
• 90% of drink drivers involved in fatal accidents are male
• 33% of all drink drivers involved in fatal accidents are aged between 17-24
• 30% of all drink driving fatalities occur between 9pm and 3am, Thurs, Fri & Sat nights
• 27% of all fatal crashes in rural areas involve drink drivers
• 25% of all drink drivers in fatal crashes are aged between 30-39
• 18-20% of all fatal accidents in NSW include drink driving as a factor

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Facts:

• A 0.05 reading means you are at double the risk of having an accident
• A 0.08 reading means you are 7 times more likely to be involved in an accident
• A 0.15 reading means you are 25 times more likely to be in an accident

Q: So what is a safe amount of alcohol to have if you are intending to drive later?
A: None; there is no ‘safe’ BAC level.

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According to studies, the risk of a motor vehicle accident increases with any amount of alcohol consumed. Simply put the more you drink, the more likely you are to be involved in a traffic incident.

Many people believe there are methods to reduce their blood alcohol concentration and ‘sober up’ to potentially beat a drink driving breath test. These may include eating or exercising to ‘flush out’ the alcohol in the system. Unfortunately, these methods do not work. In fact, for two hours after you have stopped drinking, your BAC level continues to rise and no amount of food, coffee, exercise or sleep will reduce it.

Your Options:

In the event that you have been charged with a drink driving offence, and find yourself in Police custody for being over the legal BAC limit, you should know where you stand.

The repercussions for drink driving offences in NSW are serious. NSW drink driving penalties vary depending on your Prescribed Concentration of Alcohol (PCA). If you are convicted of a drink driving offence the penalties include the suspension or disqualification of your licence, heavy fines and gaol time. A drink driving lawyer can help you reduce your potential sentence on the merits of some important factors. These include whether this is your first offence and the particular situations surrounding your offence.

If you have a court date for a drink driving charge you should request the help of specialist drink driving lawyers in Sydney. We can help you navigate the complex legal system and help you achieve the best possible result.

Benjamin Leonardo Traffic Defence Lawyers, have offices in Sydney and Parramatta and are conveniently located near the district courts. We understand the strain criminal cases have on our clients and families alike, and provide sympathetic and non-judgemental advice and support. Having defended more than 3,800 cases and with a success rate of over 90%, Benjamin Leonardo Defence Lawyers in Sydney & Parramatta, provide our clients with informed legal advice and flexible payment terms. If you have been charged with a criminal offence, please contact Benjamin Leonardo on (02) 9283 3033, for your first Consultation.