Road Code 2022 – criminal case for high blood alcohol: how much you should drink, what is the punishment

The 2022 Road Code, updated on several fronts in recent weeks, comes with even more painful sanctions for those who are accustomed to getting behind the wheel after drinking more or less.

In Romania, blood alcohol was never legal when you were driving. There are countries in Europe where you are allowed to drive after drinking a beer or two, but not in our country. The usual sanction for a drunk driver is a fine and, almost always, a driver’s license suspension. However, with the updating of the traffic code, significantly more severe penalties have been introduced.

Drinking while driving, criminal case, in Romania

If a driver in Romania is caught drunk driving, he has a good chance of remaining a pedestrian. Moreover, he could end up behind bars. On the other hand, a moment of unconsciousness can be reflected in a criminal case. The difference between the scenarios is given by the blood alcohol level. Drinking a few glasses before driving can become a crime.

Until the technical peculiarities, however, it is worth noting that the legislation in force in Romania explicitly prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages for drivers who want to get behind the wheel. Drunk driving is illegal.

If a driver is diagnosed with a blood alcohol level between 0.1 and 0.40 mg / liter of pure alcohol in expired air, it is considered a misdemeanor. In this case, the person is sanctioned with a fine of 9-20 points, ie between 1,305 and 2,900 lei. As an additional measure, the right to drive will be suspended for a period of 90 days. More serious problems occur over 0.40 mg / liter of pure alcohol in expired air. Above that threshold, it is considered a crime. In that situation, the driver is taken to a medical unit for biological samples to be taken in order to establish unequivocally the soaking of alcohol in the blood, an operation performed in front of a traffic police officer.

If the driver refuses, he can be sentenced to between 1 and 5 years in prison or a criminal fine. If he is convicted of this crime, his driving license will be revoked. The criminal fine or imprisonment is ordered if the blood alcohol level exceeds 0.8 mg / l.