DRINKING AND YOUNG DRIVERS

Young drivers on a probationary license must respect a legal blood alcohol level set at 0.2g/L of blood or 0.10mg/L of exhaled air against 0.5g/L for those with a permanent license. This regulation has been in force since 2015. If you are checked, and beyond these limits, you expose yourself to sanctions, whether legal or at the level of your insurance. What are the rules on drunk driving? What are the penalties for the breach? AUTO APPROVERS guides you.

Drunk Driving: What Are The Rules? 

The maximum limit for a novice driver is 0.2 g/L of blood, while the limit for an experienced driver is 0.5 g/L. This limit corresponds to two glasses of wine, for example. You must have a breathalyzer in your car, which will let you know if you can drive after drinking. A breathalyzer is, moreover, more effective than a breathalyzer. Like drug use, alcohol use has the following consequences: 

– Vision problems (you will tend to see double or blurry);

– Lack of coordination in movements;

– Higher reaction time;

– Drowsy driving.

On the road, all of these effects can be devastating. If you can't see well, you might miss an animal stranded in the middle of the road, which may cause an accident. With increased reaction time and poor coordination, you cannot react to an emergency.

Drowsiness can also cause fatal accidents for the driver under the influence of drugs and all other motorists in his path.

As you will have understood, the risk of a serious accident is increased tenfold with alcohol consumption. An alcoholic person will not have the same reflexes as an alert driver. It is precisely for this reason that the applicable penalties are particularly severe.

Penalties for Drunk Driving

Following a police or gendarmerie check and a violation of the legislation on alcohol levels, whether as a fine or an offense, several types of sanctions can be pronounced. These penalties are calculated according to the blood alcohol level.

If your blood alcohol level is between 0.2g/L and 0.8g/L, you will be penalized with a fixed fine of $135 and a withdrawal of 6 points. If your rate is greater than or equal to 0.8g/L, you will be sentenced to a fine of up to $4,500 and a withdrawal of 6 points, a sanction identical to driving under the influence of drugs. In these cases, the amount and the number of points to be withdrawn depend on the seniority and the maximum balance of the points permitted.

The Case of the 6-Point License

If you hold a probationary or 6-point license, an offense related to drink-driving with a rate greater than 0.2g/L of blood will be sanctioned by a fine and the definitive cancellation of the licence without the possibility of recovering lost points through an internship.

The actual date of loss of points is more important than that of the infraction. The deadline for losing points differs if it is a contravention or an offense. If a positive blood alcohol level is observed at the end of the first year of the probationary period, it will be counted during the second year, and the balance of points will then have 2 additional points (+3 in the event of accompanied driving) if it is the first recorded violation.

The case of permits with 8, 9, or 10 points

During the second or third year of probationary license with a balance of 8, 9, or 10 points (9 points after accompanied driving) and without having committed an offense during the first year, it is possible to maintain his license provided that the letter 48SI has not been received. This is possible even if the permit balance is zero and the receipt of this letter invalidates the permit.

If you are on a probationary license and commit an offense costing you 3 points or more, you must take a road safety awareness course. You will know you must take this course when receiving a 48n letter. There are two ways to do this:

- If your points balance is zero following a withdrawal of 6 points for alcoholism while driving, but you have not yet received a 48SI letter, it is imperative to proceed to a first voluntary points recovery course to save your license. Once the 48N letter has been received, you must follow a second compulsory course without the possibility of recovering points, as recovery is only authorized once a year.

- If your points are above zero and you have yet to receive a 48SI letter, you can wait for the 48N letter and complete your points recovery internship within 4 months of receipt.

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