Driving under the influence

Maybe you can't imagine it, but driving with one gulp too much still happens. We don't have to explain to anyone that drink driving is a stupid move. You endanger yourself and others. Here you can read which fines and penalties belong to driving under the influence.

Before we dive into the consequences, it's good to know when you're breaking the law when it comes to driving and alcohol. You must not have more than 0.5 per mille alcohol in your blood when you drive a vehicle, such as a car or motorcycle. Are you getting a breathalyzer? Then you are punishable by more than 220 micrograms of alcohol per liter of air.

For novice drivers this is not 0.5 permille but 0.2 permille in the blood and not 220 micrograms but 88 micrograms in a breathalyzer test. By novice driver we mean:

-Under 24 years on a moped or moped.

- Less than 5 years in possession of a driver's license for a car or motorcycle.

When will the police stop you?

At a general traffic control you can be pointed to the side of the road. The police check for registration numbers, driving licenses, technical condition and origin of the car. They may also ask you to do a breathalyzer. If you are signaled to the side of the road because of dangerous driving, the police may take a breathalyzer test from you. If the breathalyzer or behavior shows that too much alcohol has been used, the police will take you to the police station for a breath analysis. You then have to blow again in a better device. The result of this will be used by the police in your case. Source: legal counter.nl

Fines and other penalties

Driving under the influence has consequences. The consequences depend on the level of alcohol in your blood and the number of years you have had a driver's license. If you are arrested with a blood alcohol level of 0.5 (unless you are a novice driver), the judiciary will start criminal proceedings anyway. Depending on how high the blood alcohol level is, you will be fined, banned from driving or jailed.

There are two authorities that can fine or punish you. These are the CBR and the Ministry of Justice.

The CBR can declare your driving license invalid. It can oblige you to:

-Following a three-day course (costs €700).

-Undergoing an investigation into alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence (costs €1000).

In addition to following compulsory courses, you can be punished by the justice system. Think about:

-Fine: between 0.5 and 1.3 per mille you usually receive a transaction proposal. This means that there is no criminal prosecution, but that you do have to pay a fine. See box: Amount of fines.

-Disqualification from driving: from 1.3 per mille criminal prosecution will take place and the public prosecutor can impose other penalties in addition to a fine, such as a driving ban or even imprisonment. This depends on the level of the blood alcohol. If you just got your driver's license, the penalties are stricter.

- Community service/imprisonment

collision? Day insurance!

Fines, driving bans, community service and even prison sentences are bad, but your own fault is a big fat bump. It's much worse if you cause a collision with your drunk head. For causing damage to third parties while driving with alcohol, you must have deep pockets. There is also a good chance that your insurer will cancel your car insurance. And if you are really unlucky, your insurer will also recover the damage from the other party from you. But that certainly does not always happen, because the costs of recovering the money often do not outweigh the amount that has to be recovered. Source: weblog.independer.nl