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Some assume it's fine to have a drink or two before driving.
But doctors are asking Brits to stop getting behind the wheel if they've been boozing – even if they've just had a single alcoholic drink.
The British Medical Association warns that it's difficult to gauge how strong beverages are when you're out at the pub. So even when you think you've consumed a low amount, it can actually end up taking you above the drink drive limit.
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President Sir Ian Gilmore told the Mirror : “People don’t realise that drinks have got stronger. It's been a gradual and rather pernicious change. The shift has been to have stronger beers and lagers.
"Now it’s much more trendy to be drinking a Spanish lager or a Greek lager than one from the UK and there’s been a shift away from traditional British bitter. People are just not aware. To talk about how many units you can have is not helpful.”
Further to this, many of us don't actually know how units work. So to avoid any accidents, it's better to refrain from driving when you've had any tipples.
Sir Ian added: “The understanding of units is so low. That is partly because drinks are a lot larger these days. A measure of 125ml of 8.5% or 9% wine is virtually unheard of these days. A glass can be a third of a bottle of a 13% or 14% wine…
“That idea you could have two pints and four units and get away with it has always been dangerous. The risks are so high and the consequences are so big.”
It's an important issue to discuss – as data suggests there are around 260 drink driving deaths in the UK each year. This accounts for almost one in five of all deaths on our roads.
Even if accidents don't happen, the government website highlights the consequences of drink driving. You can be imprisoned, banned from driving and fined if caught.
The Met Police website adds: "The legal alcohol limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for driving is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. In Scotland the limit is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
"There is no way to know how much you can drink and stay under the limit, since it can depend on your weight, age, metabolism, the amount of food you've eaten and other factors.
"It's impossible to get alcohol out of your system quickly, it always takes time. A shower, a cup of coffee or other ways of ‘sobering up’ may make you feel better but won’t remove the alcohol from your system.
"If you've been out drinking, you may still be affected by alcohol the next day and could lose your licence if you drive and are still over the legal limit.
"Alcohol affects everyone differently and any amount can impair your ability to drive. The only safe option is to avoid alcohol completely if you’re driving as even ‘just one drink’ could put you over the limit. If you’re driving, don’t drink any alcohol at all."
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