Complete guide to drink driving charges in NSW

Drink driving offences carry significant disqualification periods. Many also carry terms of imprisonment. As such, it is crucial to be aware of the various drink driving offences as well as possible defences.

These offences are based on the prescribed concentration of alcohol (PCA) in a person's system. For this reason, they are sometime referred to as PCA offences.

This guide sets out the law, penalties and possible defences to various types of drink driving charges.

Defences to Drink Driving

There are primarily two defences to drink driving charges that can be employed.

The first defence is known as the '2 hour rule'. This is set out in Clause 2(d), Schedule 3 of the Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW).