Don't drink and drive
“Nobody drinks and drives anymore........ do they?”
The number of people killed by drink drivers has significantly fallen since the Government first published statistics in 1979; in fact over 20,000 lives are estimated to have been saved thanks to the drink drive campaigns. However, one in six of all deaths on the road still involve drivers who are over the limit. So it is still happening......... every day.
Are you going to a party tonight?
- Don't listen to peer pressure - often people will try and push you into having "one for the road" or "a proper drink". Remember, they're not the ones driving, or the ones having to face the consequences should you be involved in an incident whilst over the limit.
- Designate a driver - If you're in a group, agree before any alcohol has been drunk.
- Give your keys to someone you can trust - it's easy to think you're perfectly able to drive safely when you're not. Remove the temptation before it's there.
- Take a taxi or public transport - remove the question of driving from the equation. And remember, a taxi can cost as little as one round of drinks.
The morning after
On a Saturday night out drinking, by midnight you may have a blood alcohol level of 200mg/100ml. If you get up at 7.30am, this will have dropped to around 90mg/100ml and you will still be over the current legal limit. By midday, you will be down to around 20mg/100ml and under the legal limit but your driving may still be affected and you could be guilty of an offence.
There is a good rule of thumb: "Allow 12 hours between bottle and throttle" - and this includes a good sleep. But even this isn't an exact science. Give it longer if possible.
What is the Drink-drive limit?
The legal alcohol limit for driving is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood but there is no failsafe guide to the amount of alcohol that a driver can safely consume. The amount and type of alcoholic drink, the weight, sex and metabolism of the driver all play a part. But any amount of alcohol affects driving ability. A motorist's ability to judge speed and distance may be impaired, their reaction times may be slowed and their judgement of risk seriously affected.
If you are convicted of drink driving ...
- You will have a criminal record
- You won’t be allowed to drive for at least a year
- You could lose your job
- Your lifestyle could change dramatically
- Your insurance costs will rocket
- You will have real trouble hiring a car for the next ten years
- and if you kill someone...........?
For more information on the dangers of drinking and driving, visit the Think Road Safety web pages which includes details of the Christmas 2007 drink-drive campaign.
This page was last updated on 21 December 2007
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