Drinking and driving is socially unacceptable – but still there is a minority of motorists who believe they can get away with it. Alcohol affects reaction times and judgement of speed and distance.

Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive and each person’s tolerance to alcohol depends on a range of factors including weight, gender, age, metabolism and whether they have eaten recently. So, the only safe option is not to drink alcohol if you plan to drive, and never offer an alcoholic drink to someone else who is intending to drive.

If you’ve been drinking, there are plenty of alternative ways to get home rather than driving yourself, you could:

Book a taxi
Use public transport
Stay overnight
Arrange a lift with someone who isn’t drinking

If caught drink driving you will face:

Up to 6 months in prison
A fine of up to £5000
A minimum of 12 months’ disqualification (3 years for a second offence within 10 years)
Sobering-up tricks do not work – coffee and cold showers the morning after a night out don’t help you sober up. Time is the only way to get the alcohol out of your system and you could still be over the legal limit many hours after drinking.

Drink driving

It’s not worth the risk

In 2009, 380 people died due to drink driving. By drinking and driving, you risk your life and those of your passengers and others on the road.

Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. You risk a fine of up to £5,000, a minimum 12-month driving ban and a criminal record.

The facts

17% of road fatalities in 2009 were caused by drink driving
A drink drive conviction can result in job loss, strain on personal relationships and higher insurance costs
Tolerance to alcohol depends on a combination of factors: weight, age, gender, stress and recent food consumption
The best way to remain safe is not to drink and drive

The law

A drink drive conviction can result in a prison sentence, driving ban and fine

Drink driving: limits and penaltiesOpens new window

THINK! Advice

Time is the only way to get alcohol out of your system
You could be over the legal limit many hours after your last drink, even if it’s the ‘morning after’. Sleep, coffee and cold showers don’t help to sober you up.

There is no excuse for drink driving
“I can handle my drink.”

Alcohol affects everybody’s driving for the worse. It creates a feeling of overconfidence, makes judging distance and speed more difficult and slows your reactions so it takes longer to stop.

“I’m only going down the road.”

A large proportion of all drink drive crashes occur within three miles of the start of the journey.

If you’re planning to drink alcohol, plan how to get home without driving
Options include agreeing on a designated driver, saving a taxi number to your phone, or finding out about public transport routes and times before you go out.

Don’t offer an alcoholic drink to someone you know is planning to drive
Even if you’re not driving, you can help reduce the number of people who are killed and injured every year by drink driving.

Don’t accept a lift from a driver you know has drunk alcohol