We previously looked at some drink driving facts. Many people are uncertain of how much they can drink and still drive safely; here, we try to clarify just how much is too much.
If you are involved in a road traffic incident you will be tested for alcohol, regardless of whether you were at fault. You can also be stopped by the police and tested if you commit a traffic offence or drive in a way that suggests you are over the limit. If you fail to consent to a breath, blood or urine test, you could incur the same penalties as if you failed the test and were found to be over the limit.
In England and Wales, the legal limit is: 80 milligrammes (mg) of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) of blood, 35 micrograms per 100 ml of breath, and 107 mg per 100 ml of urine. In 2014, Scotland reduced their limits in line with other European countries, to: 50 ml per 100 ml of blood, 22 micrograms per 100 ml of breath and 67 mg per 100 ml of urine.
The amount you can drink and stay below the legal limit depends on a number of factors, including:
- Your age, gender, height and weight;
- Your stress levels;
- Your health;
- Whether you have eaten;
- Your ability to process alcohol.
Someone who rarely drinks, or who has had a “dry month” will be less able to process alcohol than someone who is a regular drinker. Likewise, if you are slight, or have not eaten all day, alcohol is more likely to go “straight to your head”.
If you have been drinking the previous evening, you need to be cautious; people on average metabolise 1 unit per hour, so if you drink a bottle of wine or five pints of beer (around 10 units in total) and finish drinking at 11 p.m., you won’t theoretically have processed all that alcohol until ten hours later, 9 a.m. If you go out for dinner and eat a large meal accompanied by a glass of wine or a pint (2-2.5 units) at 8 p.m. the alcohol should have left your system by 10.30, leaving you safe to drive home.
If you are uncertain, you can buy breathalysers online which you can use to check your alcohol levels before you drive. This is an interesting exercise which will give you an idea of your alcohol resilience, and whether you are safe to drive legally.
Overall, the best option is to avoid drinking altogether if you are driving; this will help to protect you and others. Do you want to know more? If you want to brush up on your driving skills and knowledge of driving laws, get in touch with one of our trusted driving instructors for a refresher course.
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