What To Do If You've Been Charged With Drink Driving

Being charged with drink driving can be scary on a number of levels, from the personal to professional to legal.  The law has a way of claiming objectivity by discounting or worse, co-opting, someone’s story, perspective, and context.  A solicitor will work to help restore that perspective and bring it to the table in the legal proceedings.  Here are some things to keep in mind if you’ve been charged with drink driving:

⇢ Try, as best you can, to center yourself and be calm.  Beyond the fact that any negative expression of emotion or knee-jerk response could be used against you, it better equips you, on a personal level, to deal with the situation at hand if you’re coming at it from a calm place.  This sounds obvious, but it is a great challenge.  This situation will throw you off, if you weren’t already thrown, and it actually is helpful to try to calm and face what’s ahead.  To do this, try not to shame yourself.  Remember that there are people out there who can help and listen to your story.

⇢ Comply with what the police officer asks from you, while still reserving your right to silence.  Comply with tests, etc. but don’t feel you need to answer all his/her questions, especially if you’re not in the calmest or clearest of minds.

⇢ Contact a solicitor sooner rather than later, to help with each step along the way.  Having someone to walk you through the legal bureaucracy from the beginning will save you time, energy, and anxiety.

⇢ It may be helpful to gather the support of trusted friends or family, as drink driving charges can feel like an isolating experience, and to know people still support you even if a mistake has been made can make a big difference.