Beware of increased risk of drunk driving during year-end and New Year drinking parties... Sentences can be severe even for first-time offenders

As the year-end and New Year holidays approach, many people plan gatherings with family, friends, and other acquaintances. Accordingly, as the number of drinking parties naturally increases, the risk of drunk driving also increases. According to the drunk driving accident analysis data released by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, the number of drunk driving accidents that occurred in December and January were 4,025 and 3,727, respectively. All were higher than the overall monthly average of 3,582 cases. The number of deaths due to the accident also approached 100.

The level of punishment for drunk driving varies depending on the number of arrests and blood alcohol level. If you are caught once, if your blood alcohol content is between 0.03% and less than 0.08%, your license will be suspended and you will be imprisoned for up to 1 year or a fine of up to 5 million won. If your blood alcohol content is between 0.08% and less than 0.2%, your license will be revoked and you will be imprisoned for 1 to 2 years or a fine of 5 to 10 million won. If your blood alcohol content is over 0.2%, you will be subject to 2 to 5 years in prison or a fine of 10 to 20 million won. shall be subject to the following fines:

If there is a history of drunk driving within 10 years, the sentence becomes more severe. If your blood alcohol concentration is less than 0.2%, your license will be revoked and you will be imprisoned for between 1 and 5 years or fined between 5 million won and 20 million won. If it is 0.2% or more, the sentence is strengthened to between 2 and 6 years in prison or a fine of between 10 million won and 30 million won.

Additionally, you must be careful because failing to comply with a breathalyzer test to avoid being caught for drunk driving is subject to punishment in itself. If you refuse to be tested, you will be sentenced to imprisonment for between 1 and 5 years or a fine of between 5 million won and 20 million won, regardless of your blood alcohol content.

In particular, if a fatal accident occurs due to drunk driving, the person will be punished according to the Act on Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes (Special Act) depending on the case. If you cause an accident that causes death, you are subject to imprisonment for at least 3 years or life, and if you injure someone, you are subject to imprisonment for not less than 1 year but not more than 15 years, or a fine of not less than 10 million won but not more than 30 million won. In some cases, you may even be held civilly liable for the accident.

If you are caught drunk driving or cause an accident during the period of repeated offenses, you may be sentenced to imprisonment and may be arrested from the investigation stage. In these cases, you should seek the help of a legal professional with extensive experience in handling drunk driving cases to minimize adverse factors and take measures to ensure that you receive the lightest punishment possible.

Even if it is your first offense, heavy punishment can be imposed on drunk driving as it can take the lives of others. Therefore, even in this case, you must seek the assistance of a legal professional to accurately understand the circumstances of the case and strive to lower the sentence through the optimal solution.

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Beware of increased risk of drunk driving during New Year's holidays... Sentences can be severe even for first-time offenders (link)