THE current drink-drive limit should be slashed to ‘zero tolerance’ levels to prevent deaths and accidents, leading medics have said.
Limits in the UK are currently the highest compared to neighbouring European countries.
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Deaths caused by drink-driving haven’t decreased in the last decade and almost a fifth of all road deaths are caused by people drunk behind the wheel, the British Medical Association (BMA) warned.
Collisions and deaths caused by drivers who have been taking drugs have “escalated” during the same time frame, the BMA added.
The union, with other medical bodies, alcohol and road safety charities and organisations representing emergency services, called for action to reduce the current levels of harm.
They called for the drink-drive limit to be reduced, accompanied by “adequate enforcement and education”.
This would involve increasing alcohol and drug treatment services and launching social media campaigns highlighting the health risks of drink driving.
The statement also calls for mandatory labelling on alcohol products which says there is “no safe level of drinking before driving”.
The current drink drive limit, measured by alcohol levels in the blood, is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – the highest level in Europe.
In Scotland it is 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
But the new consensus statement calls for the limit to be reduced to 20mg/100ml for all new and commercial drivers and 50mg/100ml for all other drivers “with the ambition to reach 20mg/100ml for all drivers as soon as possible”.
Campaigners have referred to 20mg/100ml as effectively a “zero tolerance” policy on drink-driving.
The charity Drinkaware warns that consuming even small amounts of booze can affect your ability to drive and there’s no reliable way to drink and stay within the limit.
It’s advised that you steer clear of alcohol altogether if you plan on driving.
If you’re caught driving while above the legal limit, you could be banned from driving for a least a year and might also face six months in prison, and an unlimited fine.
And if you’re found to have caused death by careless driving while under the influence of alcohol, you can be jailed for 14 years, as well as facing an unlimited fine, a minimum two-year driving ban and an extended driving test before being allowed to drive again.
How many drinks would the new limit equate to?
ACCORDING to the charity Brake, there’s no safe way to tell how much alcohol will put a person over the limit, or to convert the blood alcohol limit into how many units you can have.
Concentration of alcohol in blood depends on various factors including a person’s weight, age, gender, or whether they have eaten before drinking.
Studies show that 20-30mg/100ml is the equivalent of a small glass of beer or wine.
But the Government still says it is “impossible” to say how many drinks are safe to avoid going over the limit, based on the fact everyone is different.
There’s crystal clear evidence drinking impairs your ability to drive.
Generally speaking, two pints of beer or two small glasses of wine is enough to put you over the current legal limit of 80mg/100ml.
The stronger your drink, the longer it takes to leave your system, so a large glass of wine (250ml) could be in your blood for four hours after drinking.
While a pint might take less time to leave your system (two hours instead of four), you should still factor in an hour for it to absorb into your body.
For example, if you have four pints and stop drinking at midnight, you will not be safe to drive until 9am.
There’s nothing you can do to speed up the rate that alcohol leaves your system, Drinkaware warns.
The leading charity said: “Having a cup of coffee or a cold shower won’t do anything to get rid of the alcohol.
“You might feel slightly different, but you won’t have eliminated the alcohol in any way.
“The only way to eliminate alcohol from the body is to let time pass.”