Drink Drive Limits in the UK
The drink drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. In Scotland, the drink drive limit is lower at 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
What is the drink drive limit in the UK?
The amount of alcohol in your body can be measured via your breath, blood or urine. The measurement is slightly different for each. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you are over the legal limit if you have more than -
- 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath
- 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood
- 107 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine
In Scotland, the drink drive limits are lower. This brings it in line with most of Europe. In Scotland, you are over the limit if you have more than –
- 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath
- 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood
- 67 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine
How many drinks can I have and drive?
People often try to work out how much they can drink and drive based on the number of alcohol units. For example, one pint of 5% beer is typically 2.8 units. Some say you can drink up to four units and still drive safely.
However, it is not as straightforward as that. There are lots of different factors that affect the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. It all depends on your age, weight, sex, metabolism, stress levels and food consumption. This means you could experience a different reaction to the same pint of beer on separate occasions.
If you want to be sure that you are under the limit when you drive, the best thing is to not drink any alcohol at all.
What about the morning after the night before?
You must also be wary of driving the morning after the night before. Lots of people come unstuck by this. They think the alcohol has left their bloodstream, yet in fact, they are still over the legal limit.
Again, there is no fool-proof way of knowing if you are over the limit. Even home test-kits are not entirely reliable. Having a cold shower and lots of coffee does not help. Instead, it is better to avoid driving the morning after the night before altogether.
Drink driving solicitors
If you are caught drink driving, do not panic. Remain calm and contact us at DFR Solicitors. We are highly experienced drink driving solicitors and take on cases that other lawyers reject. If you have been charged with operating (or being in charge of) a vehicle while over the prescribed limit, we can help you.
To find out more, contact us now for a free initial enquiry.