We make better drivers and riders

Drink Driving – that’s something that went out in the 70’s, right?

Blog post posted on 31/08/16 |
3 x
Insight

Many people today believe drink driving has been consigned to the past and all drivers are aware of the serious dangers and consequences it can have; not only to the driver but the public around them.  Sadly this isn’t the case and around 35,000 drink drive offences were recorded in the first nine months of 2015; whilst this number is lower than previous years, it shows this is not a problem left to the past but one that still confronts each and every road user today.

Recent studies also found that men are more likely to drink and drive than women. In 2013/14, 8.1 per cent of men admitted to driving when over the limit at least once. In comparison to the 3.5 per cent of women that admitted to the same offence.

Whilst it is encouraging to see a reduction in the number of offences year-on-year, it is still important to remember there are many drivers to this day being convicted of drink driving offences.

We run many rehabilitation courses around the country to offer education to those that have been convicted, whilst proactively informing drivers of the legal limits around drink driving and how consumption can affect a driver’s ability to drive safely.

Here are some useful tips to remember:

  • Did you know that an average strength pint of beer (four per cent) can take at least two hours to leave your bloodstream? This means four pints of average strength beer would take more than eight hours to leave your system. Think carefully about how much you plan on drinking beforehand as overdoing it can have severe consequences the next morning
  • Don’t forget that the legal limit in England and Wales is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, while the limit in Scotland is lower at 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. So even though you might think you’re under the limit you may be well over – drink with caution, stay safe and leave the car at home

IAM RoadSmart advice to all drivers regarding drink driving, is simply ‘none for the road’, this will always keep you legal and aware.

For more help on the scheme and advice regarding drink drive awareness you can visit our website.

Christopher Davies, IAM RoadSmart, DRA project leader