Drink driving is a serious issue and a growing problem once again amongst UK drivers. Many drivers fail to realise the effect that alcohol has on their judgment, and how long alcohol resides in their system before it is safe again to drive. Consuming any amount of alcohol is damaging to a driver’s reactions and co-ordination which puts yourself, passengers, other cars and pedestrians at risk.
The legal alcohol limit is:
- 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath
- 80 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood
- 107 milligrams per 100 milliliters of urine
There is no definitive way for someone to work out whether they are over the limit or decide how much it will be safe for them to drink. How much alcohol one can safely consume depends on:
- Age
- Sex
- Weight
- Metabolism
- How much you have eaten
- Stress levels
- Type of alcohol drunk
Due to the numerous calculations and measurements that would be required to work out your ability to drink a little and drive, the safest option is not to drink at all, and never offer a drink to someone else who you know to be driving.
What happens when you Drink and Drive?
It can only take one drink for a driver’s judgment of speed and distance to become impaired, and for their reaction and anticipation to worsen. Alcohol can give a false confidence boost which causes the driver to make risky and dangerous decisions.
The consequences of drink driving are such that if you are 50% above the legal limit, you become five times more likely than a sober person of being involved in a fatal or serious road accident. If you are twice the limit, your chances of causing death or injury increase to twenty times.
10 people die every week as a direct result of drink driving. Think you could live with someone’s death on your conscience? You may not live at all. 60% of deaths in drink drive incidents are of the actual drunk driver.
Men in their twenties are the highest risk category, being four times more likely to cause a drink drive accident.
According to the 2003 statistics, 2170 people in total were killed or seriously injured in accidents caused by drink driving. 19% of drivers and riders killed on the roads were over the legal limit.
Sobering Up
Many drivers seem to think that because they have been to sleep, the alcohol that they have drunk has somehow left their system. Morning motorists may still be over the limit without realising it until it’s too late. If you must drive after a night’s drinking, allow at least an hour for every half pint that you have drunk. It is always wiser however not to drive at all that day.
After having four drinks on a night, most people who drive the next morning would still be over the limit. It can take up to 12 hours for a driver to be safe having drunk one bottle of wine or four pints continental strength lager.
Ignorance is not an excuse. You will face the same penalties if you are over the limit in the morning as you would if it had been the night before.
Penalties for Drink Driving
A driver can be stopped by the police and asked to give a breath test under the following conditions:
- If the police have reasonable cause to suspect the driver has committed or is committing a driving offence
- If the police have reasonable cause to suspect that the driver has consumed alcohol
- If the police have reasonable cause to suspect that the driver was involved in an accident
If you are convicted of drink driving you will:
- Lose your driving license for at least 12 months (potentially leading to job loss)
- Have a criminal record
- Face a fine of up to £5000
- Face up to 6 months in prison
- Have to pay for more car insurance
Causing death by careless driving under the influence of drink (or drugs) = maximum 10 years in prison, driving ban of a minimum of 2 years and an unlimited fine.
Being in charge of a vehicle above the legal limit or unfit through drink = maximum 3 months in prison, £2500 fine and a ban.
