It is not possible to say how much alcohol you can drink and stay below the limit. The way alcohol affects you depends on:
your weight, age, sex and metabolism (the rate your body uses energy)
the type and amount of alcohol you’re drinking
what you’ve eaten recently
your stress levels at the time
So if you’re driving, it’s better to have none for the road.
IAM RoadSmart calculates that a drink drive conviction could cost up to £70,000 as a result of fines, solicitors fees, increase in the cost of car insurance, and losing a job.
The law
There are strict alcohol limits for UK drivers:
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the legal alcohol limit for drivers is:
35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath
80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine
In Scotland (from 5 December 2014), the legal alcohol limit for drivers is lower at:
22 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath
50 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
67 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine.
The consequences
There are strict penalties if you are convicted of drink driving, including:
a minimum 12 month driving ban
a criminal record
an unlimited fine
up to 6 months in prison
an endorsement on your licence for 11 years
The maximum penalty for causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs is 14 years in prison, with a minimum driving ban of two years.
In addition to these penalties are the everyday consequences of being caught drink driving which can include:
