Some facts you can take on board about drinking and driving, the
effects that it can have on you, your insurance and your driving
licence. Click here
for an alcohol unit calculator. It is no longer accurate to
say one glass of wine = 1 unit for example as the strength of a
drink can range.
| 1 |
| Deaths from drink-drive accidents have taken
a worrying upturn in recent years – in 2004, 590 people
were killed in road accidents involving drinking, 130 more than
in 1999. |
| 2 |
| Driving or attempting to drive whilst above
the legal limit or unfit through drink carries a maximum penalty
of 6 months' imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 and
a minimum 12 months driving ban. |
3 |
If your charged of drink-driving your job
could disappear along
with your driving licence, and you will face the social stigma
of having a criminal conviction, not to mention much higher
insurance premiums to pay when you eventually get your licence
back. |
4 |
| Effects of drinking alcohol can include:
slower reactions, increased stopping distance, poorer judgement
of speed and distance and reduced field of vision. |
5 |
| The legal alcohol limit for driving in the
UK is 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. |
6 |
| There is no failsafe guide as to how to
stay under the legal alcohol limit or how much you can drink
and still drive safely. It depends on: your weight, sex, age,
metabolism, stress levels, an empty stomach and the amount and
type of alcohol. |
7 |
| 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured
on our roads each year in drink drive related crashes and nearly
one in six of all deaths on the road involve drivers who are
over the legal limit. |
8 |
| People who drive at twice the current legal
alcohol level are at least 50 times more likely to be involved
in a fatal car crash. |
9 |
| Nearly one in six of all deaths on the road
involve drivers who are over the legal alcohol limit. |
10 |
| The only safe option is not to drink any
alcohol if you plan to drive and never offer an alcoholic drink
to anyone else who is driving. |
information and pictures sourced from:
http://www.aatrust.com/files/news_views/2005_12.pdf |
