Drinking Facts

If you think you have had too much alcohol to drink, you probably have and shouldn’t drive.

The only way to really know your blood alcohol level is to use a breathalyser. A growing number of Victorian hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs now have alcohol breath testers. They may be difficult to find in some places, so it can be helpful to ask a staff member if they have one and where it is. When you are starting to think about driving, use the breath tester and find out your actual blood alcohol level.

If you are over .05, don’t drive – catch a cab or take public transport.

Don’t forget if you are close to .05, you might not be safe to drive as your blood alcohol level might still be going up from alcohol you drank earlier. It’s worth waiting for a bit (and not having any more alcohol) and re-testing yourself with a breathalyser to make sure your alcohol level isn’t increasing.

If you are interested in being able to test your BAC on a regular basis, several companies for example www.drinkingmate.com.au in Australia that sell hand held testing devices that are very accurate.

By law, probationary drivers (P-platers) must maintain a zero BAC (“blood alcohol content” – their BAC must equal zero). Drivers of heavy trucks, buses, trains and trams must maintain a zero BAC level while on the road in most of Australia. Motorcyclists in their first year of riding also must maintain a zero BAC while on the road.

Penalties for drink-driving offences include disqualification from driving for a specified period, fines and imprisonment.

In Victoria, a BAC reading of 0.15 or higher results in suspension of the driver’s licence on the spot, until the case is heard in court.

Since 13 May 2002 , Victorian courts can order anyone committing a repeat drink driver offence or driving with a BAC reading of more than 0.15 to have an alcohol interlock device fitted to their car, motorbike or truck ignition.

Driving is a very complex task which requires complex decision making and total concentration. Alcohol affects a driver’s ability to be totally in control of his or her actions at:

• 0.02 to 0.05 BAC – the ability to see or locate moving lights correctly is diminished, as is the ability to judge distances. The tendency to take risks is increased, and the ability to respond to several stimuli is decreased.
• 0.05 to 0.08 BAC – the ability to judge distances is reduced, sensitivity to red lights is impaired, reactions are slower, and concentration span is shorter. At 0.08 BAC drivers are five times more likely to have an accident than before they started drinking.
• 0.08 to 0.12 BAC – euphoria sets in, overestimation of one’s abilities leads to reckless driving, peripheral vision is impaired (resulting in accidents due to hitting vehicles in passing), and perception of obstacles is impaired. Drivers are up to  10 times more likely to have an accident.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is a measurement of the amount of alcohol in the body. BAC is measured in grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit is 0.05. This means that a driver’s body must contain less than 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

A driver’s BAC is measured by a simple breath test procedure.

Most people find it difficult to gauge their own blood alcohol level as there are so many factors that you need to consider such as:

• the amount of alcohol consumed;
• the period of time over which alcohol is consumed;
• your body mass;
• whether or not you have eaten;
• your fitness levels; and
• the health of your liver.

Because everyone is different, some people need to drink less than the standard hourly recommendations to maintain a BAC level below the legal limit.

Every time we go out on the streets, there is always a chance of getting into some kind of mishap. We could be careful drivers ourselves, but there might be a lunatic driving another car that forces us into an accident.

Some situations that lead to disaster on the roads are quite common, and repeatedly happen.

One frequent incident is when a driver falls asleep. Being too tired to drive at night in long stretches of road can actually lull you to sleep, and you end up waking in a hospital, bed, if you do wake up at all.

Racing cars on the streets is another usual scenario. Drivers are often guilty of speeding, for different reasons. Maybe some are in hurry to get somewhere. Others are just speed freaks and race with other cars to show who can go the fastest.

The Fact is…

Drunk driving is a significant statistic in road accidents. In Australia alone, the recorded incident  in 2007, indicated 1,616 persons killed in 1,466 road crashes.

29% of all drivers and motorcyclists killed on Victoria’s roads over the last year were 0.05 g/100ml or over the BAC legal limit . The majority of drivers were really drunk, registering more than three times over the legal limit.

While drinking and driving is totally 100% preventable, people still do it, and people do die. Over 40% of all traffic accidents are caused by drunk drivers. That statistic means that two in five vehicles that crash or are hit are driven by an intoxicated driver.

Many people believe that a couple of beers or some wine are fine to drive with compared to straight liquor. But, a “drink” is either one shot of liquor, a five-ounce glass of wine or one small (mid-strength) beer, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol.