Drink

460 deaths were caused by drivers over the legal alcohol limit in 2007 (incidentally, the lowest figure since records began). There were a further 1,760 serious casualties and 12,260 slight casualties. Further accidents are caused by drivers who have drunk alcohol but are not over the limit. Alcohol is a factor in one in five road deaths (figures include drunk pedestrians).(8)

In What Ways Does Alcohol Affect Driving Skills?

After drinking, the brain works inefficiently, taking longer to receive messages from the eye; processing information becomes more difficult and instructions to the muscles are delayed. Alcohol can slow down reaction time by 10 to 30 per cent. It also reduces ability to perform two or more tasks at the same time.

Alcohol reduces the ability to see distant objects and night vision can be reduced by 25 per cent. Blurred and double vision can also occur. Ability to perceive what is happening at the roadside is weakened. Loss of peripheral vision could be crucial. Alcohol may also create a sense of overconfidence, with the result that people are prepared to take greater risks.

Even when sober, young drivers and riders are more accident prone than older, more experienced drivers. Their lower tolerance to alcohol further increases their accident risk. The vulnerability of a young person to the effects of alcohol is shown by the lower average blood alcohol levels of young drink driving offenders compared with older offenders. The same pattern is found in drivers who are killed. For young people accident risk increases after one drink; after two it doubles and after five it can have increased ten fold.

What’s the law on drink driving?

In the UK, the alcohol limit for drivers is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, 35mcg per 100ml of breath or 107mg per 100ml of urine. In most other European countries, the limit is less, usually 50mg per 100ml of blood. (3)

How much can I drink and stay under the limit?

There is no foolproof way of drinking and staying under the limit. How much alcohol will push you over varies from person to person. It depends on: (4)

• Your weight
• Your gender (men tend to process alcohol faster than women)
• Your metabolism
• Your current stress levels
• Whether you’ve eaten recently
• Age (younger people tend to process alcohol more slowly)

Morning after

How much have you drunk, when did you stop drinking, and when do you plan to drive?
Crucial questions to answer if you want remain safe and legal to drive - and avoid a drink drive conviction.

Examples

The alcohol takes the same amount of time to leave your system whether your vodka's just on ice or in a large glass of orange juice. Pub measures vary - 25ml (one unit) used to be standard, but 35ml is now more common. It doesn't matter what mixer you use

A 25ml shot - is a one-hour drink.
A 35ml shot - is a one and a half-hour drink.
A 70ml double - is a three-hour drink.

If you are pouring spirits yourself, you'll probably pour generous doubles, triples or more. Take this into account when calculating your hours.

• Drink four 70ml doubles and you can't drive for 13 hours - that's 1pm the next day if you drank your last double at midnight.
• If you drink four pints of strong lager you can't drive for at least 13 hours from finishing your last pint. If you finish at midnight, you probably aren't safe until after 1pm the next day.
• Drink five large bottles of beer and you shouldn't drive for at least 16 hours. That's 4pm the following day if you finish drinking at midnight.
• Drink five super-strength cans and you can't drive for about 21 hours - almost a full day later.
• Super strength cans - can be a whopping 7.5%-9%. A 7.5% can is a three and a half-hour drink. A 9% can is a four-hour drink

What’s the punishment if I get caught drink driving?

Anyone caught drink driving will be banned from the road for at least 12 months, and fined up to £5,000. You can also be sent to prison for up to six months. Imprisonment, the period of disqualification and size of fine depend on the seriousness of the offence. (5)

If you’re caught drink driving more than once in a 10 year period, you’ll be banned for at least three years.

Some useful links

• How much will your next round cost you?
• Get caught drink driving and you'll be processes like any other criminal
• www.drinkaware.co.uk/

Drugs

Although accurate drug-driving figures aren’t available, research by TRL, the Transport Research Laboratory, found that 17% of drivers who die in road crashes (almost one in five) have traces of illegal drugs in their system that may have affected their driving. TRL also found that almost 6% of drivers (one in 17 drivers) who die in road crashes have traces of medicinal drugs that may have affected their driving.

Drug driving - the facts

The different ways that drugs can affect a driver’s behaviour and body include:
• slower reaction times
• poor concentration
• sleepiness/fatigue
• confused thinking
• distorted perception
• over-confidence

See below for further information about how your driving is likely to be affected if you drive after taking some of the most common illegal drugs:

Cannabis
You have slow reaction times and struggle to do two tasks at once (like change gear and steer straight). Combining cannabis with alcohol magnifies its effect.

Ecstasy
On ecstasy you have blurred vision and can’t judge distance or speed. You might suffer extreme emotions that are lethal behind the wheel, like anxiety and paranoia.

Cocaine
You’ll probably think you’re the best driver on the road – but you are erratic, likely to take risks, may suffer from paranoia, and even hallucinate..

Speed
Amphetamines make you over-excited, restless and can lead to risk-taking. You may experience strong emotions like fear, panic and aggression. You may get dizzy or collapse.

LSD
You are a likely to suffer from hallucinations, delusions, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, poor control and confused thinking – a killer combination.

Heroin
You are sluggish, sleepy and unable to control a vehicle.

The penalties are the same for “drug” driving as they are for “drink” driving.

Remember that even though we have concentrated on illegal drugs any type of over the counter or prescrtion medicines are drugs. Be aware that if you are taking more than one medication they may have a combination effect. Please make sure you read the information leaflet with the medicine.

If in doubt speak to your doctor or pharmacist about the medicine or medicines you are taking.

For confidential drugs information and advice, please visit

www.talktofrank.com/

If you want more information on drug driving, please visit

www.youtube.com/thinkuk

www.dft.gov.uk/think/drugdrive/img/leaflet/leaflet.pdf

www.dft.gov.uk/think/drugdrive

Driver Tiredness

Driver sleepiness is estimated to account for around one fifth of accidents on major roads, and is responsible for around 300 deaths per year.

Studies have shown that you don’t fall asleep without warning. Drivers who fall asleep at the wheel often try to fight off drowsiness by opening a window or turning up the radio. This doesn't work for long. Research shows that the risk of sleep related accidents is greater in the hours between 12 midnight and 6am

Try these tips instead:

• plan your journey to include a 15-minute break every two hours.
• don't start a long trip if you're already tired.
• remember the risks if you have to get up unusually early to start a long drive
• try to avoid long trips between midnight and 6am when you're likely to feel sleepy anyway.
• if you start to feel sleepy, find a safe place to stop- not the hardshoulder. Drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeine drink and have a rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow time for the caffeine to kick in.

Remember, the only real cure for sleepiness is proper sleep. A caffeine drink and a 20 minute nap is a short-term solution that will only allow you to keep driving for a short time.

think.dft.gov.uk/think_media/241036/241078/dontdrivetired.mpg

www.dft.gov.uk/think_media/241036/241084/signsoftiredness1.pdf