Possibility of increased drink-driving as lockdown measures are eased

As normality creeps closer, millions of Brits are excited to meet with friends and family for the sort of social activity that we have seen very little of over the last year.

Inevitably, this means increased alcohol consumption, and thus increased temptation for people to drink and drive.

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is a measure of how much alcohol is in a person’s blood. A Blood Alcohol Content of 0.08 means that a person has 80 milligrammes of alcohol for every 100 millilitres of blood.

• Drivers with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of between 0.02 and 0.05 have at least a three times greater risk of dying in a vehicle crash.
• This risk increases to at least six times with a BAC between 0.05 and 0.08
• The risk increases to to eleven times with a BAC between 0.08 and 0.10.
• The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 0.08 BAC, and 0.05 BAC in Scotland.

For more information, see the report from NICE here.

Even in these early stages of lockdown relaxation, Derbyshire police are reporting increased drink-driving.

And there have been incidents of drunk drivers crashing within 100 yards of leaving social occasions.

• Learn what a unit is and know how many you’ve consumed.
• As a guide, wait an hour per unit of alcohol consumed, plus one hour from when you took the very last sip. If you consume 6 units, wait at least 7 hours from after you finish your last drink as a bare minimum. Every person varies, so it may take even longer for some people.
• Plan accordingly – if you’re attending a social occasion and it’s likely there will be alcohol involved, have alternative transportation options available to you.

It is more important than ever not only to never drink and drive, but to also be alert, prepared and able to anticipate the danger that drunk drivers pose to ordinary road users.

As well as offering courses designed to educate and rehabilitate drink-drivers, IAM RoadSmart can maximize their ability to anticipate hazards.

Use the free Drinkaware Track and Calculate Units app to track your alcohol consumption and spend over time, calculate units and set goals to help you moderate your drinking!