Have you been charged with a Drink or Drug Driving offence?

If you have been charged with a drink driving charge, you will be required to attend court. Not showing up for court on the date that you have been summoned, carries serious consequences. The Magistrate may issue a warrant for your arrest and you may be arrested by police. You will likely receive a fine, and more charges may be laid against you for failing to attend court. Ensure that your address is correct with Queensland Transport so that all mail relating to your appearance reaches you. Additionally, make sure you remember your court date and get there early to avoid being late or missing it.

The short answer is yes if you have been issued with a notice to appear by the police. You are being charged with a criminal offence, and you do need to go to court in person. If you cannot attend for any reason, you need to contact your lawyer for legal instruction or the courthouse for advice as soon as you can.

Here in Queensland, it is considered an offence to refuse to provide a specimen of breath or saliva when a police officer has requested you to do so and can lead to serious penalties. Failing to take a breath test typically attracts the same penalty as a high range drink driving offence regardless of whether you were that limit or not. At a minimum, you will receive a 6 month disqualification period and a $4000 fine. A jail sentence of 6 months is even a possibility in some cases.

It’s important to know that not everyone is eligible for a work licence. If you are eligible, you’ll need to go to court on the date requested. You will need to ask the Magistrate for an adjournment so you can organise the paperwork for a work licence. You will need to have this paperwork sorted out before your next court hearing when the application will be considered. The Magistrate will be the one who decides whether to grant you a work licence or not. If you have already pleaded guilty, you cannot apply for a work licence, it must be done beforehand. It’s a good idea to include a letter from yourself and your employer on the reasons why you need a licence.

If you have been issued a fine and you believe wrongfully so by a police officer, traffic camera or transport inspector, you can dispute it in court. If you intend on disputing it, you need to do so within 28 days of receiving the fine or you may receive a penalty for an overdue fine. Do not pay the fine and keep a copy. If you have been found guilty of the fine after going to court, a conviction may be recorded against you.

If you have received a notice to choose, this is in relation to a demerit points enforcement. You have the option to choose whether you would rather have your licence suspended or have a good driving behaviour (GBD) enforced on your driver’s licence. For GDB to be an option, you need to hold a current Queensland licence. You must submit your preference before the due date otherwise your driver’s licence may be suspended as a default option. If you choose GBD over a licence suspension, this means that this applies to your licence for one year. If you incur 2 demerit points or more within this time, your licence will be suspended for double the time as the original suspension offer.

Driver education programs are designed to cater to those who are facing traffic-related charges in court here in Queensland. In this program, offenders will learn about the consequences and dangers of driving offences, and they aim to provide education and raise awareness around such issues.

Those who have been charged with a traffic offence can greatly benefit from attending one of these courses especially those who are facing serious charges or who are repeat offenders. Completing this course will likely lead to a lower fine and disqualification period as it is highly regarded by the courts.

When you initially contact a traffic lawyer for advice and they are setting up a time to meet with you, they will tell you everything that you need to bring with you. In general, they’ll ask you to bring any supporting documentation you believe to be relevant to your case. You should bring along a form of identification such as your driver’s licence, police reports and documentation you have if any, concerning your charge.