It’s important to know the limits
As we approach the festive season, parties get into full swing and it means many of us might find ourselves drinking more than at other times of the year.
While there’s nothing wrong with having a good time, drunk driving is a problem in the UK, and 230 people are killed in Great Britain every year as a result of drunk driving, and it counts for a large proportion of deaths on the roads.
While the best course of action is not to drive at all if you’ve had a drink, it’s important to know the limits. Here’s what you need to know.
What are the drink drive limits?
Contrary to common belief, drink drive limits are not measured in units, but rather the amount of alcohol in either your breath, blood or urine.
For England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the limits are:
- 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath
- 80 milligrammes per 100ml of blood
- 107 milligrammes per 100ml of urine
There’s no way of saying if you can have a specified amount of drinks before being over the limit as there are so many variables, including wildly different strengths of alcohol between wines, beers and spirits, for example, and because different people process alcohol at various rates.
What are the drink drive limits in Scotland?
If you live in Scotland, or are visiting the country, it’s important to note that the drink drive limits are substantially lower than they are across other parts of the UK, after the limits were reduced in December 2014. It’s important to be especially cautious with what you drink in Scotland for this reason.
These are the limits in Scotland:
- 22 micrograms per 100ml of breath
- 50 milligrammes per 100ml of blood
- 67 milligrammes per 100ml of urine
What is the penalty for drink driving in the UK?
There are strict limits in place for drink driving, and harsher penalties that those do get behind the wheel. The actual limits for various specific crimes are published below, though the actual penalty you get is up to the magistrates who hear your case.
Being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal limit or unfit through drink
You may get
- Three months’ imprisonment
- Up to £2,500 fine
- A possible driving ban
Driving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit or unfit through drink
You may get
- Six months’ imprisonment
- An unlimited fine
- A driving ban for at least one year (three years if convicted twice in 10 years)
Refusing to provide a specimen of breath, blood or urine for analysis
You may get
- Six months’ imprisonment
- An unlimited fine
- A ban from driving for at least one year
Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink
You may get
- 14 years’ imprisonment
- An unlimited fine
- A ban from driving for at least two years
- An extended driving test before your licence is returned
If you are stopped by the police and they suspect you’ve been drinking, they will breathalyse you at the roadside. If the breathalyser shows you’re over the limit, you will be arrested and taken to a police station where you will do further alcohol readings that are given as evidence. These are done on specialist machines, and the lower of the two readings will be used if a charge is brought against you.