Importance of Avoiding Drinking and Driving

Drinking and driving places you and other road users in severe danger, as well as jeopardising your driving licence. When you are under the influence of alcohol, you are less alert to traffic signals, less conscious of your speed and less alert to potential hazards. Impaired judgment may make you more likely to take dangerous risks or drive impulsively.

Driving above the legal drink drive limit may result in severe penalties, including fines, imprisonment and the disqualification of your licence. Even one drink can impair your ability to react to hazards. There is no way to estimate how much alcohol a person must drink in order to exceed the legal drink drive limit. Your age, your weight, your body's ability to metabolise alcohol, your level of stress or fatigue, the amount you've eaten recently and the type of alcohol you drink may affect the results of a breath, blood or urine test.

Dangers of Driving after Drinking

Drink driving is one of the leading causes of injury, property damage and death on our roads each year. However, many drivers overestimate their ability to remain alert on the road after one or two drinks. Even one glass of beer may diminish your ability to perceive road markings, traffic signals, pedestrians, cyclists and obstacles in the road, especially at night, when visibility is reduced.

Consuming alcohol affects your ability to judge potentially dangerous situations. Young, inexperienced drivers who are still developing their driving judgment are especially prone to accidents after drinking. Alcohol may encourage drivers to behave recklessly, drive too fast or take risks that they might otherwise avoid, leading to dangerous or fatal collisions.

A conviction for drink driving may make it nearly impossible for a young driver to get affordable car insurance, even if no injuries or property damage took place. Young drivers, who have higher than average rates to begin with, can rarely afford to have the cost of their automobile cover increased any further. The best way to stay safe on the road, maintain a clean driving record and keep car insurance rates at a competitive level is to avoid drinking and driving altogether.

Legal Penalties of Drink Driving

The legal penalties of drink driving are severe, especially for newly qualified motorists. During the first two years after qualifying for your licence, you may be disqualified if you reach 6 or more penalty points on your licence. A conviction for drink driving can easily result in a disqualification, which means that you must reapply for a provisional licence and qualify for your full licence again.

Simply being in charge of a vehicle when you are above the legal limit may result in 3 months of imprisonment, a fine of 2,500 pounds and a ban on your driving licence. [1] Driving above the legal limit may result in up to 6 months of imprisonment, a fine of up to 5,000 pounds and a driving ban. Causing the death of another person whilst drink driving may lead to 14 years of imprisonment, a driving ban and an extended driving test if you return to driving. The fine for causing death whilst driving carelessly under the influence of alcohol is unlimited.

Understanding the importance of avoiding drinking and driving may help you resist the temptation to operate a vehicle after having one or two drinks. Although you may feel clear headed, your visual perception, reflexes and judgment may be impaired. It is always safer to have a sober friend drive, take public transport or phone a taxi than to take the wheel after drinking.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Roadsafetyadvice/DG_195019 12/03/2011

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