Anti-drink driving

Alcohol-related crashes are unnecessary and tragic for victims and their families. Just a few precautions and a little planning when you drink alcohol can help to ensure a safe journey. Learn what the dangers are, the penalties, and how to stay under 0.05 per cent.

The dangers

It's fun to have a few drinks with your friends, but if you are drinking, the safest options are to catch public transport or a taxi, get a lift with a sober friend, or stay overnight. Better still, if you plan to drive, don't drink.

Too many are involved in alcohol-related crashes. Each year, alcohol contributes to about 25 per cent of road deaths in Queensland-Australia.

Alcohol affects your ability to be in control of your actions. If you drink then drive, you will be stopped!

Police conduct random breath testing to deter and detect drink drivers. Motorists can expect to be breath tested at least once a year. Police conduct breath tests anywhere and at any time.

Facts about alcohol

The affects of alcohol can:

• make it hard for you to concentrate on your driving
• slow down your reaction times
• reduce your ability to do more than one thing at a time
• affect your vision and hearing
• make you feel more confident which may lead you to take more risks
• relax you, increasing your chances of falling asleep at the wheel
• make simple tasks more difficult.

Blood alcohol concentration

Your blood alcohol concentration is a measurement of the amount of alcohol in your body.

Blood alcohol concentration is measured in grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
A measurement of 0.05 per cent blood alcohol concentration means your body contains 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
As soon as you start drinking, your blood alcohol concentration begins to rise.
It takes 30 to 60 minutes after you have stopped drinking for your blood alcohol concentration to reach its highest concentration.
Factors affecting blood alcohol concentration

Factors which can affect your blood alcohol concentration include:

• how much alcohol you drink
• the time period over which you consume alcohol
• how much you weigh
• how long since you have last eaten
• whether you are fit
• the health of your liver
• whether you regularly drink
• your mood
• your gender
• the type of drink you consume.
  

How much can I drink and still keep below 0.05 per cent?
For men: No more than two standard drinks in the first hour and one standard drink each hour after that.
For women: No more than one standard drink each hour.

Remember, the only thing that will reduce your blood alcohol concentration level is time. It takes your liver about one hour to process the alcohol in one standard drink. Therefore, after a heavy night's drinking it is quite possible to be over 0.05 per cent the next morning. Coffee, cold showers, vomiting, or exercise, will not reduce your blood alcohol concentration