Failing to Provide a Specimen

Failure to provide a specimen of breath, blood or urine

When a specimen of breath, blood or urine is requested by a policeman, it is an offence to refuse, regardless of whether the request is made by the side of the road or in a police station. Nonetheless, you may be able to put up a valid defence against being convicted if you are able to show that there was a valid reason for your refusal.

Reasons that could be accepted may include such things as breathing problems in the case of breath tests, or a fear of needles if they were intending to take a blood sample. While these reasons certainly may stand up in court, it is vital that you have someone to put forward your case using the correct terminology and with a strong awareness of the regulations in place.

If you are convicted of failure to provide a specimen, you may face a fine of up to £5,000, and could be banned from driving for a minimum period of 12 months (or 3 years if you have been found guilty of drink-driving or another alcohol-themed crime within the previous 10 years).

Additionally, graver offences may leave you looking at a prison sentence of up to six months. It’s for this reason that it is vital to enlist the help of a professional motoring solicitor with expertise in the relevant areas. If you need help from an expert, simply fill out the form on the right and our unique Find a Solicitor service will do the rest.

Gaining a deeper understanding of drink driving law

Drink driving is a serious criminal offence and is seen as socially unacceptable in the UK. The legal limit for drink driving is measured in blood alcohol content (BAC) and stands at 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath, 80 milligrams per 100ml of blood or 107 milligrams per 100ml of urine.

Using a road traffic solicitor

Due to the wide variety of road incidents that take place throughout the UK, solicitors specialising in road traffic law are often required by motorists to provide legal advice on everything from personal injury insurance claims to driving incidents and offences.

A further insight into drink driving laws

It remains a fact that, despite the strict road traffic laws that exist to prevent such incidents, drink-driving-related accidents are an extremely common problem. Every year in the UK over 3,000 people are either hurt or killed in road traffic accidents which are caused by driving under the influence of alcohol.