One For The Road?
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.
How many units can I drink before driving?
The legal drink drive limit cannot be safely converted into a certain number of units, as it depends on a number of factors including gender, body mass and how quickly your body absorbs alcohol into the blood stream.
The morning after
It takes about 1 hour for alcohol to be absorbed into your bloodstream. It then takes a further hour for your body (assuming you have a healthy liver) to rid itself of each unit of alcohol.
A unit is strength (ABV) x volume (ml) ÷ 1000. For example a pint of Stella - 5.2 x 568 ÷ 1000 = 2.95 units.
Below is a guide to help you calculate when you should stop drinking if you are driving the following day.
- 4% beers and ciders
Average strength drinks like Fosters and Guiness are two hour pints. Each pint takes at least two hours to leave your blood stream from when you stop drinking. Therefore if you have four pints and stop drinking at midnight, you are not safe to drive until after 9am the next day - 5.5% beers and ciders
Stronger drinks like Stella, Kronenberg and Strongbow are three hour pints. Drink four pints of Stella and you can't drive for at least 13 hours from finishing your last pint. So if you call it a night at midnight you are not safe until after 1pm the next day - 5.5% bottles
Becks, Bud, Stella, WDK, Smirnof Ice in 330ml bottles are two hour bottles. Drink six of these up till midnight and you are not safe until after 1pm the next day - Wine
One 250ml glass of 13% wine is a three and a half hour drink. Drink a bottle of it and you'll need to leave 11 hours before driving or 11am if you stop at midnight
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 having a drink
- 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
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 Think Road Safety.
This page was last updated on 23 November 2009
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