Get the best Drink Driving
Lawyers in Melbourne
Melbourne Drink Driving Lawyers
Garde Wilson Lawyers are experts in handling all ranges of drink driving offences in Melbourne. From 1st time offenders through to high range offenders with prior and relevant history; we can ensure the following:
- No extended or harsh loss of license, and
- No lengthy community correction orders, and
- No terms of imprisonment
People caught on numerous occasions over the prescribed blood alcohol limit often face a term of imprisonment as they present as a clear and obvious risk to the community. To leave such an offence to a lawyer or firm that do not specialize in criminal defence would be an unforgiving mistake. We handle numerous cases of low to high range drink driving every week and have a tremendous record for achieving outstanding results against the police prosecution.
There are at times a strong case to defend a charge of Drink Driving with certain occasions resulting in the withdrawal of all charges. Although linked, alcohol related driving and traffic offences include the refusal to participate in an alcohol test, driving in a manner dangerous, failing to have control of the vehicle, XPCA or drink driving and driving while impaired. Charges of this sort usually have various alternative charges attached to them and rarely come as a stand alone charge. Do not risk your criminal record being unreasonably impacted by a listing or conviction of a charge such as these.
There are particular defences which at times are appropriate for submission, these being:
- Dispute of fact regarding the refusal of a breath test,
- Member of the police providing incorrect legal advice,
- Dispute regarding whether you HAD control of the vehicle in question,
- Machine report error concerning the device used to test the accused.
Any of these defences may be applicable to your case and Garde Wilson Lawyers can quickly assist you in establishing this. Speak to one of our criminal defence specialists about how to get the best result for your approaching drink driving offence in Melbourne.
| DRINK DRIVING PENALTIES – AFTER 30 APRIL 2018 Full Licence (26 years or older) | |||||||
| Offence Description section 49(1)(b) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic)1 | Minimum Disqualification Period2 | Maximum Fine (penalty units)3 or Term of Imprisonment | Minimum Interlock Period4 (months) | ||||
| First Offence | Subsequent Offence | First Offence5 | Second Offence6 | Subsequent Offence7 | First Offence | Second Offence | |
| less than ∙05 | 3 months | 12 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 12 |
| ∙05 or more but less than ·07 | 6 months | 12 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·07 or more but less than ·08 | 6 months | 14 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·08 or more but less than ·09 | 6 months | 16 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·09 or more but less than ·10 | 6 months | 18 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·10 or more but less than ·11 | 10 months | 20 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·11 or more but less than ·12 | 11 months | 22 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·12 or more but less than ·13 | 12 months | 24 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·13 or more but less than ·14 | 13 months | 26 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·14 or more but less than ·15 | 14 months | 28 months | 20 pu | 60 pu or 6 months | 120 pu or 12 months | 6 | 12 |
| ·15 or more but less than ·16 | 15 months | 30 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·16 or more but less than ·17 | 16 months | 32 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·17 or more but less than ·18 | 17 months | 34 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·18 or more but less than ·19 | 18 months | 36 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·19 or more but less than ·20 | 18 months | 38 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·20 or more but less than ·21 | 20 months | 40 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·21 or more but less than ·22 | 21 months | 42 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·22 or more but less than ·23 | 22 months | 44 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·23 or more but less than ·24 | 23 months | 46 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
| ·24 or more | 24 months | 48 months | 20 pu | 120 pu or 12 months | 180 pu or 18 months | 6 | 48 |
1 Section 49(1)(b) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) states that “a person is guilty of an offence if he or she drives a motor vehicle or is in charge of a motor vehicle while the prescribed concentration of alcohol or more than the prescribed concentration of alcohol is present in his or her blood or breath”.
2 Section 50(1A) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
3 One penalty unit is currently $165.22, from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.
4 Offence committed on or after 1 October 2014.
5 Section 49(2A)(a) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
6 Section 49(2A)(b) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
7 Section 49(2A)(c) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
| DRINK DRIVING PENALTIES – AFTER 30 APRIL 2018 Full Licence (26 years or older) | ||||
| Offence Description section 49(1)(a) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) 8 | Minimum Disqualification Period 9 | Maximum Fine (penalty units) 10 | Maximum Fine ($) 11 | Maximum Term of Imprisonment |
| First Offence | 2 years | 25 penalty units | 4,130.50 | 3 months |
| Second Offence | 4 years | 120 penalty units | 19,826.40 | 12 months |
| Subsequent Offence | 4 years | 180 penalty units | 29,739.60 | 18 months |
8 Section 49(1)(a) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) states that “a person is guilty of an offence if he or she drives a motor vehicle or is in charge of a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or of any drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the motor vehicle”.
9 Section 50(1B) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
10 Section 49(2) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
11 One penalty unit is currently $165.22, from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020.
| COMBINED DRINK AND DRUG DRIVING PENALTIES – AFTER 30 APRIL 2018 Full Licence (26 years or older) | |||||||
| Offence Description section 49(1)(bc) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) 12 | Minimum Disqualification Period 13 (months) | Maximum Fine ($) | Maximum Fine ($) | Maximum Imprisonment (months) | Maximum Fine ($) | Maximum Imprisonment (months) | |
| First Offence | Subsequent Offence | First Offence 14 | Second Offence 15 | Subsequent Offence 16 | |||
| less than ·07 | 12 | 24 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·07 or more but less than ·08 | 12 | 26 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·08 or more but less than ·09 | 12 | 28 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·09 or more but less than ·10 | 12 | 30 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·10 or more but less than ·11 | 16 | 32 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·11 or more but less than ·12 | 17 | 34 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·12 or more but less than ·13 | 18 | 36 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·13 or more but less than ·14 | 19 | 38 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·14 or more but less than ·15 | 20 | 40 | 4,956.60 | 14,869.80 | 6 | 29,739.60 | 12 |
| ·15 or more but less than ·16 | 21 | 42 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 6 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·16 or more but less than ·17 | 22 | 44 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·17 or more but less than ·18 | 23 | 46 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·18 or more but less than ·19 | 24 | 48 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·19 or more but less than ·20 | 25 | 50 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·20 or more but less than ·21 | 26 | 52 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·21 or more but less than ·22 | 27 | 54 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·22 or more but less than ·23 | 28 | 56 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·23 or more but less than ·24 | 29 | 58 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
| ·24 or more | 30 | 60 | 4,956.60 | 29,739.60 | 12 | 44,609.40 | 18 |
12 Section 49(1)(b) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) states that “a person is guilty of an offence if he or she drives a motor vehicle or is in charge of a motor vehicle while both the prescribed concentration of alcohol or more than the prescribed concentration of alcohol is present in his or her blood or breath; and the prescribed concentration of drugs or more than the prescribed concentration of drugs is present in his or her blood or oral fluid”.
13 Section 50(1AD) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
14 Section 49(3AAB)(a) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
15 Section 49(3AAB)(b) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
16 Section 49(3AAB)(c) Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).