In most situations, drivers who violate the traffic law are penalized with a fine. However, in certain cases, traffic offenses are considered much more serious and are punishable by imprisonment. Here’s the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony for drivers.
Drivers who drink alcohol and get behind the wheel risk being fined.
However, if the level of alcohol in the body is high, the situation becomes much more dangerous, both for the driver and for the other traffic participants. Therefore, beyond a certain threshold, this violation becomes a crime.
2025: What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony for drivers?
Depending on the seriousness and danger of the traffic violation, the sanction may be a misdemeanor or a criminal one. Which means that if the violation does not endanger the life of a person, or traffic safety, the driver will be fined. And, additionally, there may be a period without the right to drive.
For example, drivers can receive a contravention fine when:
- performs an irregular overtaking;
- does not respect the red color of the traffic light;
- exceed the speed limit;
- I park illegally;
- have an absorption of less than 0.80 g/l of pure alcohol in the blood, etc.
But according to the law, a number of other acts are considered crimes:
- putting into circulation or driving an unregistered or unregistered vehicle or with a false registration or registration number;
- towing an unregistered or unregistered trailer or with a false registration or registration number;
- driving a motor vehicle or towing a trailer that has a withdrawn registration or registration number;
- driving a motor vehicle on the roads by a person who does not have a driving license;
- driving a vehicle with an alcohol content of over 0.80 g/l pure blood alcohol or under the influence of drugs;
- entrusting a vehicle to a person under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
- refusal to submit to the taking of biological samples in order to establish the alcohol level or the presence of psychoactive substances in the body;
- leaving the scene of the accident or modifying/erasing the traces of the road accident;
- installation or modification of road signaling means;
- participation in unauthorized car races;
- placing obstacles on a public road;
- repairing vehicles involved in road accidents without having proof from the Police or the insurance company.
When the Police finds a traffic offense in the case of a driver, he remains on the spot without a driver’s license. Afterwards, the case is taken over by a prosecutor and, depending on the situation, he can order the file to be forwarded to the courts or closed.
And the right to drive remains suspended until the completion of the judicial investigation.
Source: www.promotor.ro
