New drink-drive limit as Brits restricted to even less beer before hitting the road

Road safety laws could be changed this autumn as ministers are drawing up plans which could see the current drink-drive limit slashed over large parts of the UK

New road safety plans currently being drawn up could see a huge change to the drink-drive limit later this year.

Ministers are currently drawing up a set of new rules which could be introduced in autumn, with some of the changes set to be the most radical since the Road Safety Act in 2006.

At the top of the agenda is the changes in drink-driving limits for some UK roads. Currently, Welsh and English drivers can legally drive with 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Now, ministers could slash that number to just 22 micrograms – in line with the limit in Scotland.

Previously, popular beliefs with Brits suggested that you could have one pint before getting behind the wheel. With the change in rules, some could suggest this would be reduced to just half a pint.

According to the NHS website, a standard unit of alcohol in the UK contains 10 millilitres 8 grams of pure alcohol. This is the amount of alcohol an average adult can process in roughly one hour.

Pints measure in at two to three units, meaning one could send you over the limit with the new rules.

However, it has been proven that this rough guide should not be relied on. An adult’s ability to process alcohol can vary by day, depending on a range of factors, such as the food they have consumed or even any medication they have taken.

The RAC details: “One unit equals 10 millilitres or 8 grams of pure alcohol, but the effect a single unit has on your blood alcohol level varies from person to person, and is dependent on a number of different factors, such as: gender, age, weight, any food you may have consumed, the type of alcohol, tiredness and stress levels.”

The truth is there’s no real guide to how many pints you can have before you get behind the wheel. The NHS further caution to simply avoid booze all together.

The smallest amount of alcohol can affect your vision, reaction times and ability to drive, even if you remain well below the legal limit.

As measured at the beginning of the year, government data shows that between 290 to 320 people a year are killed in vehicle collisions where a driver is over the limit.

Drink-driving collisions represents 17% of all deaths on the roads. This shows the number of incidents involving drink drivers is now at its highest level 15 years, according to Gov.uk.

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