PPLT6028B Formative assessment EN>ES Sight translation

Driving offences and their punishments

Driving offences are extremely common and can land even the most law-abiding people in
hot water. Some offences are more serious than others, with police able to hand out on-the-
spot fines for lesser examples, while the most serious could result in a prison sentence. It’s
therefore important to understand the driving laws – and the punishments applicable to
those who break them.

Most offences come under either the category of minor offence or major offence, each type
being dealt with very differently. Common offences include careless driving, dangerous
driving, or driving without insurance or a driving licence.

Drink driving

The legal alcohol limit for driving in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80 milligrams
per 100 millilitres of blood and 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in
Scotland.

Police can stop you at any time when you’re driving, and if they suspect you of being over
the limit they’ll probably use a breathalyser to test the amount of alcohol in your breath. If
you fail this preliminary test, or fail to comply, you will then be arrested under suspicion of
drink driving. 

If you’re involved in a crash while over the limit, and you’re found to be responsible for
another person’s death, you could be hit by 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine and a
driving ban of at least two years.