Britain’s drink driving laws were explained when Justin Timberlake was arrested

Singer Justin Timberlake has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in the Hamptons, police said. The Cry Me A River star was arrested in the early hours of the morning in the affluent village of Sag Harbor in New York, the SAG Harbor Village Police Department told the PA news agency.

A spokesman confirmed he was arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI). The department is expected to issue a formal statement later on Tuesday.

Laws regarding drinking and driving are different in the United States than in the UK. According to the Metropolitan Police, the legal drink drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood or 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath.

In Scotland the limit is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. Or 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath.

There’s no way to know how much you can drink and stay under the limit, as it can depend on your weight, age, metabolism, amount of food you’ve eaten, and other factors. It is impossible to quickly remove alcohol from the body, it always takes time.

A shower, cup of coffee, or other ways to “take care” of yourself may make you feel better, but they won’t flush the alcohol out of your system. If you’ve been out drinking, you may still be impaired the next day and lose your license if you’re still over the legal limit.

Alcohol affects everyone differently and any amount can affect your ability to drive. The only safe option is to avoid alcohol completely if you drive, as even “one drink” could put you over the limit.

What happens if you are suspected of drink driving in the UK?

The police can stop you at any time and ask you to take a breath test if:

• they think you’ve been drinking
• you have committed a traffic offence
• you have been involved in a traffic collision

If you refuse to take a breath test or fail to provide a breath sample and do not have a “reasonable excuse”, you can be arrested. A reasonable excuse could be an actual physical or mental condition that prevents you from giving evidence; In this case, you may be asked to have a blood test.

The breath test gives an immediate result. If it shows that you have not exceeded the drinking limit, you may be allowed to go.

If you fail the breath test, you will be taken to a police station and given a final breath test. If it’s positive, you’ll be charged.

What are the penalties for drunk driving?

If you are found to have exceeded the drinking limit, you can face a maximum sentence of six months in prison and be ordered to pay an unlimited fine. Courts usually impose an automatic driving ban of at least one year (this increases to three years if you’ve been convicted twice in 10 years).

Being convicted can lead to other problems, such as having your driver’s license suspended for 11 years and increasing your insurance premiums. The penalty is likely to increase depending on how serious your individual situation is.

If a driver kills someone while under the influence of alcohol, they can be charged with causing death by negligent driving while under the influence of drink or drugs. The maximum sentence was increased following a change in the law so that if the offense was committed on or after 28 June 2022, the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

Representatives for Timberlake have been reached for comment.