Drink a Little, risk a Lot.
In 2022, an estimated 1,920 people were killed or seriously injured in collisions where drink driving was a factor. Young men are over-represented in drink drive casualties, yet are less likely than the general population to say that drink driving is risky.
To tackle this, Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is supporting the THINK! ‘Drink a little, risk a lot’ campaign to highlight the consequences of even a little bit of alcohol before driving. The only safe option is not to drink and drive.
Fifty per cent of young male drivers say they intend to be sensible, but often get carried away when socialising, putting themselves at risk. The campaign challenges young male drivers’ perceptions around personal limits by raising awareness that even a little bit of alcohol can put you and your licence at risk.
The facts
- Drink driving is illegal and puts lives at risk.
- 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 recently at the time
- So if you’re driving, it’s better to have none for the road.
- IAM RoadSmart calculates that a drink-driving conviction could cost up to £70,000, including fines, solicitors’ fees, increased car insurance costs, and potential job loss.
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 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
- 107 milligrams 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 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
- 67 milligrams 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:
- increase in car insurance costs
- job loss
- trouble getting into countries like the USA
- The shame of having a criminal record
- loss of independence
