Understanding the risks of drinking and driving

Drink driving is one of the leading contributors to road accidents globally. In 2022, the RAC estimated that 6,800 people were killed or injured in the UK when at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit.

Many people plan to drink only a little on a night out and feel capable of driving afterwards, but even while still under the drink-driving limit, alcohol can drastically impair decision-making.

What classifies as “drunk driving”?

Drunk driving is a term that defines when a person is operating a vehicle while under the effects of alcohol. 

Drink driving is a serious and well-known criminal offence, yet the precise quantities of permissible alcohol in your bloodstream to legally drive differs across Europe. In many countries, drunk driving doesn’t just apply to road automobiles but extends to boats, jet skis, motorbikes and golf carts.

You may have heard the term expressed as ‘driving under the influence’ or ‘DUI’, though in the UK and Australia, it is more frequently called ‘drunk driving’ or ‘drink driving.’ 

After a few drinks on a night out, the arbitrary classification of drunk driving can appear or feel hazy. People often tell themselves, “Well, I’ve only had one or two; I’m sure I am unaffected!”

It is then helpful to understand the measurement of blood alcohol content (or concentration) expressed as BAC. 

The legal alcohol limit in the UK for driving is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (BAC of 0.08%)

How alcohol impairs your driving ability

Drinking while sober already comes with its own risks. The impairments resulting from drinking alcohol amplify these risks to a dangerous level. The quantifying BAC level of 0.08 is the legal limit. Yet driving with a BAC of just 0.02 has been proven to impair judgement, decrease visual function and affect your multi-tasking capacity.

Here are some of the direct impairments that make drinking and driving so dangerous:

• Impaired motor skills: Drinking alcohol affects the brain’s central nervous system. This results in impaired motor skills, such as the interaction between your hands and the steering wheel, the application of indicators and the smoothness of pedal pressure.

• Slowed reflexes and muscle response times: Response times worsen as you drink, which can be catastrophic for how you respond to dangerous road situations. Your neural processing is under the effects of alcohol, and slowed reflexes make it harder to respond to traffic lights, road signs and hazards.

• Blurred visuals: Another direct physical impairment is the way alcohol affects your eyes. Blurred and distorted lights are common when drunk, causing immediate risks to public safety while operating any vehicle.

What are the immediate risks if you drink and drive?

The ways that alcohol affects a person are dependent on age, weight, gender and tolerance level. Regardless of these multitudinous factors and irrespective of driving experience, drinking alcohol impairs your ability to drive safely.

The impairments we mentioned directly place yourself and others in danger. Some of the most straightforward risks inherent to drunk driving include:

• Accidents and injuries: Drink driving is a direct contributor to road accidents and crashes. Whether on a motorway or in a pedestrian area, public safety is at risk when drivers are under the effect of alcohol.
• Emotional trauma: Survivors of accidents involving drunk driving usually suffer lasting emotional trauma, including guilt, anxiety and PTSD. For many people, even a near-collision is enough to force them to pull over, take deep breaths and wait for nervous shakes to pass.
• Financial costs: The financial repercussions of drink-driving accidents can be severe enough to alter a person’s life. Medical bills, insurance premiums and legal fees are all severely affected by drink-driving incidents. 

Legal repercussions

If the physical and mental dangers that link alcohol and driving weren’t bad enough, drunk driving is a dangerous crime with severe legal consequences. Driving under the influence can bring lasting legal and financial repercussions.

If you’re pulled over for suspected drunk driving, you may undergo two breath tests or, in some cases, a blood test. If your BAC is found to be above 0.08, the consequences are dire. 

While under the effects of small to moderate amounts of alcohol, it is easy to tell yourself, “Well, I am just a little bit over the limit.” There is no such thing as “just a little bit over.” 

The penalties for being caught drunk driving can include:

• An unlimited fine (at the court’s discretion)
• A minimum one-year driving ban instead of penalty points on your license (three years if convicted twice within ten years)
• In higher-risk cases, imprisonment of up to six months for first-time offenders
• A criminal record, showing on Standard DBS checks for 5 years
• After the 5-year criminal record conviction is spent, you’re likely to pay up to 80% more for car insurance
• Compulsory unpaid work or community service of up to 300 hours
• If your drunk driving causes a fatal accident and kills someone, you could be subject to life imprisonment

The specific penalty, if you’re caught drunk driving, will depend on your BAC levels, the severity of the offence and the discretion of the court. The emotional damage of a severe crash is immeasurable, which should serve as an underlying deterrent to drinking while intoxicated.

How to prevent drunk driving

Even if the life-altering legal ramifications of drunk driving are disregarded, most people have a moral compass that silently acknowledges their drunk driving as unacceptable. This internal judgement from your moral compass is correct.

There is no failsafe way to tell how much alcohol puts you over the limit or to convert your units of consumption to BAC objectively. Blood-alcohol concentration levels depend on your weight, age, gender and even the food you’ve eaten beforehand. 

There are, however, some actions and practices that could save lives if your night out involves drinking and driving. Here are some of the best practices and actions to keep in mind:

Alternative transport/walking

Public transportation lines expand and develop constantly, so make sure you’re completely up to date with the transportation offered. Are you drinking close to your home? If so, have you weighed up the option of walking home after drinking? Especially if the weather is nice, a change to walking home after drinking could be refreshing and liberating.

Taxi use/designating a sober friend

If you’re in a group of friends, ensure you’re all on the same page and prepared for a taxi home. You could set up a designated sober friend to call when you need a lift, or one friend could be the night’s designated sober driver. Not everyone enjoys drinking alcohol, and a trustworthy friend might even enjoy or thrive on the responsibility of driving the group around safely. Repay these people kindly; they could be the difference between life and death on the road.

Assess your fitness to drive

Even if you’ve drunk a small amount and are under 0.08 BAC, understanding the general timeline of alcohol metabolisation should affect your decision to drive. One unit of alcohol is typically metabolised by your body in one hour. Drivers should allow at least one hour to absorb a unit and up to an hour after for each unit consumed. Each person’s rate at which they metabolise alcohol can vary.

Not drinking alcohol

Our final piece of advice is to avoid alcohol altogether simply. Whether we like it or not, alcohol has a deeply interwoven relationship with our culture and social norms. Have you ever questioned or challenged these norms? Setting up and honouring your own boundaries can feel intrinsically rewarding and socially liberating on a night out.

I want the risks that come with drinking out of my life

For a person suffering from an alcohol addiction, we know how difficult it can be to accept and execute the helpful advice you receive. The decision to “just say no” can feel impossible when you’re going through an addiction alone.

If any of the points raised today resonate with you or a loved one, we’d like to take this moment to reach out…

Here at UKAT, we specialise in alcohol rehabilitation and detox programmes. Our medically trained staff are here to support you every step of the way. We offer comprehensive and personalised care to help and guide you to complete recovery.

Your journey to a healthier, alcohol-free life is only one phone call away. Contact us today.