ABSTRACT Objectives: to understand the experiences of family members of drivers who violate the law against drinking and driving and the post-penal repercussions. Methods: a qualitative study, with family members of drivers who violated the law against drinking and driving who participated in the Projeto Justiça e Sobriedade no Trânsito de Maringá - PR (Traffic Justice and Sobriety Project in Maringá - PR). Data collection was carried through semi-structured interviews, analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: it was observed in the family members' reports: the suffering of families due to the consumption of alcohol and other drugs; the violation of the law against drinking and driving meaning turning point, with positive and negative changes in the family context; and the meanings of the Traffic Justice and Sobriety Project. Final Considerations: the law against drinking and driving penalties triggered unemployment and financial expenses, but the positive aspects were quitting alcohol use and/or not drinking and driving anymore. The Traffic Justice and Sobriety Project was informed as solidarity and a trigger for changing the offenders' behavior.