What Do You Do If You Are in an Alcohol Related Accident?

Drink driving collisions kill hundreds of people each year in the UK. While the number of serious injuries and casualties has significantly decreased in recent years, thousands of motorists and passengers are involved in drink driving accidents. What do you do if you are one of them?

Call emergency personnel; you are required to report accidents to the police, and if someone is injured, it is both a moral and legal imperative to seek help. Doing so though, obviously puts you at risk if you were in any way impaired. At the same time, remain at the scene. Fleeing can exacerbate the situation and pile on additional charges.

When the police arrive and suspect you are under the influence of drink, they will likely ask you to do a breathalyser test. Failure, including refusal, to comply is an offense in itself. Beyond cooperating with this preliminary test, do not speak to the police, to witnesses or to people in the other vehicle (if applicable). Do not indicate that you are at fault or admit guilt, and do not apologise.  It is best to consult an attorney before you make a spoken or written statement to authorities.

Immediately, contact an attorney who handles drink driving cases and ask for a consultation.Drink driving is a highly specialised area of the law, and these practitioners can help you make the best case for either a reduced sentence or a dismissal of charges. Simply pleading guilty in an attempt to make the whole episode ‘go away’ will likely result in high penalties, driving bans and even imprisonment.

The best way to handle an alcohol-related accident is to avoid it altogether; do not drink and drive. If, however, it is too late for that piece of advice, the next best recommendation is to speak with a lawyer before anyone else.