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Drink Driving

Expert legal help when you’re charged with drink driving

Drink driving legal defence

The consequences of being convicted of a drink driving offence can be life-changing, even if it’s your first offence. You may feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to respond to the charges against you.

As with most other motoring offences the more serious the offence, the higher the penalty and if you are convicted you will face a ban of between 12 months and three years.

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Drink driving

Types of drink driving offences

Less severe

While all drink driving convictions are serious, less severe offences will stay on your driving record for four years from the date of the offence (or the date of conviction where you have received a disqualification); these include:

DR40 – in charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit; 10 points

DR50 – in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink; 10 points

DR60 – failure to provide a specimen for analysis in circumstances other than driving or attempting to drive; 10 points

DR70 – failing to provide specimen for breath test; 4 points

 

More severe drink driving offences

More severe drink driving offences include:

DR10 – driving or attempting to drive above the alcohol limit

DR20 – driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink

DR30 – driving or attempting to drive and then failing to provide a specimen for analysis

DR31 – driving or attempting to drive then refusing to give permission for analysis of a blood sample that was taken without consent due to incapacity

These all carry 3 to 11 penalty points and will stay on your driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction.

Defending drink driving cases can be complex and complicated. At Rothera Bray our motorist defence team specialise in helping clients facing conviction for drink driving.

We would recommend seeking legal advice as early as possible after being convicted of a drink driving offence to give us the best possible chance of successfully defending your case and saving your licence.

 

Why use Rothera Bray for drink driving offences?

  • We have offices across Nottingham, Leicester and Derby but act for clients all over the UK.
  • We can provide an out of hours service.
  • We will discuss the circumstances of your offence in detail with you to decide on the best approach, whether that’s defending your case or aiming to keep any sentence to a minimum.
  • We can attend the police station with you where you are required to give a specimen to ensure correct procedures are followed and no errors are made which could lead to an incorrect verdict.
  • We will thoroughly prepare for your case by viewing CCTV, contacting witnesses and seeking the opinion of toxicology experts and forensic medical examiners.
  • We can analyse the evidence gathered in the police process to ensure this has been followed correctly.

 

  • We have a network of experts including forensic experts we work with to assess the reliability of your breath test result and check that the breathalyser worked properly.
  • In some cases we can challenge the result of a blood or urine analysis.
  • We can successfully argue in cases where you consumed alcohol after driving the vehicle (‘hip flask’ defence), using expert advice to assist us with preparing a back calculation.
  • We have considerable experience in making successful special reasons arguments in exceptional circumstances.

We have a website dedicated solely to motoring and transport offences whilst still using the same expert motoring solicitors. So, if you’re looking for more information, where we operate or case studies from some of our previous clients, then head over to KeepMeOnTheRoad.

If you want to speak to the country’s leading motoring lawyers today, give us a call now on 03456 465 465.

We have a range of fixed-fee services: please see visit our specialist motorist website for more information:

Keep Me On The Road - Fees
Our specialist solicitors represent clients nationally for drink driving offences. Call us today for a free chat - it may save your licence.
Anton Balkitis
Anton Balkitis

Contact our Motoring Offence Law team

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Drink driving solicitors reviews

September 22, 2026
I had Chelsey and Anton representation on case and the outcome was even better than anticipated. Super helpful, knowledgeable and professional. Could not recommend this firm and them specifically enough!
- Farida
August 17, 2026
Handled my case with compassion, clarity and efficiency. Having never been served a prosecution notice, in entirely unexpected circumstances, I feared the worst. Reassurance was delivered immediately. My solicitor, Olivia was a class act the whole way and Chelsey coordinated the process never missing a beat, communicating effectively throughout. I felt supported and the outcome of my court hearing has ensured that I can continue to drive.
- Jake Tyers
August 14, 2026
Excellent service. Rothera Bray recently represented me in court for a driving offence and their service was second to none. Everyone that dealt with me, namely Chelsey, Georgina and especially Anton in court , were absolutely amazing. I also extend this to those working behind the scenes. They were friendly, compassionate and very understanding and at a time when I was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by everything they really put me at ease. The outcome was excellent for me following Anton's representation. I was so happy , I can't thank you enough. I highly recommend Rothera Bray and wouldn't hesitate to use them again, although I am NOT planning on finding myself in a similar situation EVER again! I couldn't have wished or hoped for a better service. Gold star. :) Thank you! X
- Rupert
July 15, 2026
I engaged Rothera Bray for a motoring matter. They were professional, fair, honest and competent throughout - having spoken with a few other law firms, it was a very easy choice to go with them and I’m delighted that I did. Chelsey and Rebeca did an excellent job, gathering information and helping to focus on what mattered most. Anton was superb, putting me at ease “on the day”. He showed his expertise and command throughout and achieved a great outcome. Very grateful to the whole team and highly recommend.
- Danny C
July 6, 2026
I cannot thank Chelsey and the team at Rothera Bray LLP enough for their outstanding support. We were facing a highly stressful motoring matter involving a Section 172 allegation alongside a speeding offence, which originally arose because we never received the initial NIP / request to provide driver details in the post. Chelsey was incredibly efficient, swift and proactive. Thanks to her exceptional legal expertise, she acted immediately to negotiate with the Prosecution, successfully getting the Section 172 charge completely withdrawn before the court date. She resolved the speeding offence smoothly without requiring our personal attendance in Court and secured an incredibly favourable outcome (minimum penalty points and zero prosecution costs). Her communication was clear, fast, and deeply reassuring throughout the entire process. I would highly recommend Chelsey and her firm to anyone who requires legal assistance with motoring matters.
- W Cheng
July 1, 2026
Anton, Rebeca & Chelsey have been excellent from start to finish. Professional and reliable at all stages, handling everything with care and attention to detail. Nothing has been any trouble and are fast to respond to any queries. Extremely knowledgeable in their field and without a doubt would recommend to anyone.
- Jessica Cousins
June 15, 2026
This firm is awesome, they delt with everything quickly, and professionally. Georgina Power was amazing, will definitely be using them again.
- Andy Flint
April 30, 2026
Rothera Bray put a strong hardship case for me successfully. I would like to give a personal thanks to Anton who was kind, approachable and I was impressed with his professionalism. If you want a lawyer who will work your behalf to get the best result then look no further. I can not thank them enough.
- Chris H
April 30, 2026
I recently instructed Rothera Bray Solicitors for a totting up/exceptional hardship case and cannot praise them highly enough. Despite some delays and inconsistencies on my part during case preparation, they remained professional, patient, and thorough throughout. The solicitor expertly presented my circumstances to the Magistrates, resulting in a finding of exceptional hardship and no disqualification despite reaching 12 points. This outcome has protected my employment and family responsibilities. Their communication was clear, their advice was sound, and their representation in court was excellent. I'm extremely grateful for their work during what was an incredibly stressful time. Would absolutely recommend to anyone facing similar circumstances.
- Terence
April 30, 2026
Rothera Bray solicitors helped me keep my licence. From start to finish they were absolutely brilliant. The solicitor they sent to court with me was brilliant. And I can’t thank them enough. I gave 5 stars, I would of gave 10 if possible!
- Steve Yeomans
April 28, 2026
Rothera Bray were extremely professional and employed great communication throughout the process. They talked me through the possible scenarios and what the potential outcomes might be. Both the Paralegals and the Solicitor were clear and concise during their representation and achieved the best outcome I could've hoped for. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.
- AC
January 23, 2026
I recently had a legal issue I needed assistance with and was told of Rothera Bray by an acquaintance. From my very first conversation with a very pleasant lady called Rebeca, my mind was put at ease. Further along the line I was then in conversations with Chelsey, who too was great. Very professional and informative. I was kept up to date on a daily basis and the two people I mentioned truly made a terrible time, very manageable. I cannot recommend Rothera Bray solicitors enough.
- Ben Pitcher
January 19, 2026
We recently had a hearing with the TC. Originally we were not going to appoint a representative but last minute decided to do so. We were recommended Georgina Power of Rothera Bay Solicitors who I initially contacted to make enquiries. As soon as I spoke to her I knew straight away she would advise and help us to the best of her ability and that she certainly did. In a very short timeframe Georgina took ownership of all documentation which took a lot of pressure off us, never in the past had we dealt with such proceedings. Then she communicated via email and then arranged a teams meeting. On the day of the hearing we met and Georgina made us feel relaxed and confident going into the hearing. Georgina helped us get the result we needed and we were able to continue with our license. I cannot speak highly enough of Georgina and the firm. All emails were answered promptly and any question were always addressed. If there was a score to be had above excellent I would 100% give it. Thankyou so much Georgina.
- Anonymous
January 15, 2026
I was put in contact with Georgina Power at Rothera Bray Solicitors following our request to attend an STL (Senior Team Leader meeting with the Traffic Commissioner). From the first conversation I was made to feel comfortable with both the professionalism along with the knowledge/experience to deal with our case. Throughout the process we were guided/advised in all area's along with the required expectations, a witness statement was prepared along with the required supporting evidence in advance of our case. At the STL meeting we were supported by Georgina verbally and on the back of this a positive outcome was achieved.
- G Barker
January 15, 2026
I have been working with VUS Ltd for almost a year now following a DVSA Stop and subsequent MIVR they were recently summoned to an STL Meeting at The Office of Traffic Commissioner, I advised the MD of VUS that it would be advisable to get a specialist Transport Solicitor on board to assist with this matter. I always give the names of 2 different Solicitors to my client one being Georgina Power who I had worked with on a PI for Woodspace Ltd (t/a C Dart). Thank you again to Georgina who did a very professional job and I will contact her again when I need to.
- Peter Adams - Transport Manger
November 10, 2025
I would like to send a big shout out to Anton Balkitis at Rothera Bray. Appearing at Court for me and handling the judges, knowing what to say and how to say it, is not something I could have done on my own. It felt good to have someone on my side that really knew their stuff. I highly recommend for anyone who needs a helping hand and wants the best outcome at Court.
- Ryan