When gathering together with friends and family, it’s common to enjoy a drink or two to celebrate the festive season, or to toast the New Year.
However, it’s easy for one glass of Baileys to turn into two or three, and many people feel just fine and decide to drive home afterwards.
Around 150 drink drivers get caught every day in the UK over the Christmas and New Year period.
It’s therefore little wonder that the police are out in force, ready to check up on revellers on their way home from Christmas parties.
How much can I drink before driving?
In the UK, the drink driving limit is:
- 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood
- 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath
- 107 milligrams per 100 millilitres of urine
It’s unfortunately not possible to determine exactly how much alcohol will put you over the limit. This is because there are many variables to consider, including your age, weight, gender, any food you’ve consumed, the type of alcohol and even your tiredness and stress levels.
Therefore, the only way to be absolutely certain that you’re not over the legal alcohol limit is not to drink any alcohol at all if you’re planning to drive.
Can I drive my car the morning after drinking?
There’s really no accurate way to determine how long it will take you to sober up enough to be under the alcohol limit. This is the reason why you shouldn’t drive the following morning if you’ve had a particularly heavy night.
If you need to drive early the next day, it’s sensible to stick to one or two drinks maximum, just to be on the safe side.
What should I do if I’ve been arrested for drink driving?
Many people who get caught drink driving were completely unaware that they were over the limit.
If this has happened to you over the festive period, your first port of call should be to get in touch with experienced drink driving solicitors as soon as possible.
Just because you were over the alcohol limit, this does not necessarily mean you will be found guilty of drink driving, as there are many defences that could potentially be used. Your solicitor will request the prosecution papers to assess the drink driving case against you. They will find any weaknesses that could be used in your defence, potentially even getting the charges dropped before your case reaches court.
MAJ Law are specialist drink driving solicitors who can provide you with valuable support, advice, and ensure you have the best possible representation if your case makes it as far as court.
To get in touch with their knowledgeable team, give them a call on 0151 4228020. Alternatively, send them a message using the contact form on their website for a swift response.