Drinking then Driving Facts & Guidelines
30-June-2010
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How many times have you been unwittingly over the limit, or even thought, 'I'll be OK to drive'?
Most of us go out to enjoy ourselves knowing the one standard drink rule. But do we really know what this means? With 30 per cent of all fatal drink driving crashes occurring between 9pm and 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and that one quarter of all drink drivers in fatal crashes are aged 30-39 years, we're not so sure.
Just for the record, a woman should have a maximum of one standard drink in the first hour and one drink per hour after that if she's planning to drive. However the line becomes blurry when you factor in varying glass sizes and also cocktails (which are notoriously more than one standard drink).
Interestingly, even after only one drink, you're still twice as likely to have an accident than someone who hasn't had anything at all.
The standard drink guideline
* One middy of beer
* One glass of wine (100ml)
* One 30ml nip of spirits
Also, did you know your blood alcohol level reaches its peak 20-60 minutes after you stop drinking? No amount of fresh air, coffee or water can reduce this in a hurry – just time. However, eating a meal and pacing yourself throughout the night will help minimise increased blood alcohol levels in the long-term.