A major campaign by the UK government is launching to once again alert drivers to the dangers of drink driving.
You may think that we would have got the message loud and clear by now, but the figures show that out of 3,000 people who are killed on the roads each year around 500 of the deaths are drink and drug related.
Car drivers, what are your limits?
It could be argued that if you are the designated car driver for an evening out, your best option is not to try and calculate your limit, and instead to simply abstain.
At twice the current legal limit you are at least 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision.
Although guides can be found, much is dependent on your age, the type of alcohol you are drinking, your weight, sex and metabolism – all of which must be taken into account along with current stress levels and facts such as when you last had a meal.
Car drivers will be found guilty of drink driving if they have more than:
- 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
- 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.
- 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine.
You cannot simply compare a half a pint of lager to a glass of wine. Each could be a higher percentage than your average. It is also worth acknowledging that drinks poured at home are likely to be more generous than the measures poured in a bar.
Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. There is no foolproof way of drinking and staying under the limit, or of knowing how much an individual person can drink and still drive safely.