Drink drivers 'put everyone at risk'

Motorists who drink and drive are putting everyone at risk, according to a car insurance company that found that British drivers overestimate the amount of alcohol they can consume before getting behind the wheel.

According to the research, 39 per cent of drivers believed the legal alcohol limit for driving is the equivalent of one pint of beer, while 13 per cent thought it was two pints.

How many units of alcohol is the drink drive limit?

One of the reasons that it is hard to express the drink drive limit in terms of units of alcohol is that factors such as gender, body mass and how quickly the body absorbs alcohol into the blood stream make the total different for each individual. The safest course of action is to avoid alcohol altogether before driving.

Drink drive limit to stay at 80mg

The government last year changed its mind about reducing the drink and drive limit from 80 to 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood despite the fact that Britain will become the only country in Europe that allows motorists to have an alcoholic drink and still be legally fit to drive.

In mainland Europe, the limit is either 50mg or 20mg.

Despite an indication last year that the Government was in favour of moving to a 50mg limit, the road safety minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, has told The Times newspaper that a forthcoming consultation document will not propose a lower limit, saying: “Drivers who are between 50 and 80mg are not the ones we are most worried about. It’s the ones above 100.”

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “Not only is the current system confusing, it is a cultural as well as legal acceptance of the notion that ‘drinking-a-bit’ and driving is safe.”

Drink driving limits should be reduced

In the Netherlands the limit is 50mg and in Sweden 20mg. Both countries have been more successful than Britain in reducing drink-drive crashes.

What is the ETA?

The ETA is an organisation providing motorists and cyclists with carbon-neutral breakdown cover and insurance products. As well as encouraging responsible driving to reduce carbon, the ETA campaigns for sustainable transport.