Getting behind the wheel of a car is an inherently dangerous activity when you’re sober. Add alcohol into the mix and you’ve got a potentially deadly combination.
This is why we have drink driving laws, designed to deter people from taking to the road once they’ve had a certain amount.
Currently, the limit for drinking and driving in England and Wales is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath (or 80 micrograms per 100ml of blood).
However, this could soon change in the near future, with the government considering reducing the limit to 22 micrograms, bringing it in line with that of Scotland.
While this is certainly commendable and will potentially make the nation’s roads safer for us all, confusion may still persist about what the actual limits are.
John Scruby, former South Yorkshire Police traffic officer and trustee of the Campaign Against Drink Driving organisation, told the BBC that it’s difficult to understand just what 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath actually means in practical terms. How many drinks does this actually cover? How many units of alcohol is legally permissible?
It’s also important to note that other factors can also affect the impact that drinking will have, including weight, age, sex, metabolism, the type of alcohol, food intake, stress levels and so on.
This ultimately means that the limit will affect different people in unpredictable ways – so it’s not easy to work out accurately just how much alcohol will put you over the limit.
The only way to know with 100 per cent certainty that you’re within the legal limit is to avoid alcohol entirely if you plan to drive, so put plans in place for alternative modes of transport if required.
But if, for whatever reason, you do find yourself on the wrong side of the law and need the help of drink driving solicitors, get in touch with the Caines Law team today.