Drink and Drug Driving

Drink and drug driving is a serious issue that puts lives at risk. If you’re caught drink driving in Wales, the penalties can be severe. You could face a minimum 12-month driving ban, an unlimited fine, and a 6-month prison sentence.

The penalties are similar for driving under the influence of controlled drugs. This includes illegal drugs and legally prescribed drugs. You’re driving licence will also show that you’ve been convicted for drug driving. This will last for 11 years.

You may need to tell your employer if your charged with driving under the influence of drink or drugs. They’ll see your conviction on your licence if you drive for work and you could lose your job. You’ll also pay higher insurance premiums and have difficulty travelling to countries like the USA.

Drink Driving limits and testing

The legal alcohol limit in Wales is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres if breath.

There’s no way to know how many drinks you can have before being over the limit. It’s different for everyone and could be affected by your age, weight, metabolism (how fast you use energy), how much you’ve eaten etc. The only way to get alcohol out of your system is to wait. There’s no cheat or hack to get it out of your system quicker.

This is important to remember if you’ve been drinking the night before you drive. You may feel alright to drive, however, you could be over the legal limit and still be affected by the alcohol in your system.

A police officer can ask you to take a breath test if they think you’ve been drinking, if you’ve committed a traffic offence, or if you’ve been involved in a collision.

You’re free to go if it shows that you’re not over the limit but you’ll be arrested if it shows that you are. You’ll then be taken to a police station and will be asked to complete another breath test. If this is positive, you’ll be charged.

Drug Driving limits and testing

It’s illegal to drive if you’re unfit to do so after taking legal or illegal drugs, or if you have certain levels of illegal drugs in your blood. This includes if the illegal drugs are not affecting your driving.

It’s always best to talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you’ve been prescribed drugs and you’re not sure if you should drive after taking them.

A police officer can ask you to do a ‘field impairment assessment’ if they think you’re driving after taking drugs. This can include asking you do tests, such as walking in a straight line. They can use a drug testing kit to check for cannabis and cocaine in your system.

Failing these checks, or if the officer suspects that your driving is affected by drugs, will lead to you being arrested and taken to a police station. You’ll need to complete a blood or urine test at the police station. These additional checks can screen for other drugs, such as ecstasy, LSD, ketamine, and heroin. If this is positive, you’ll be charged.

Helpful hints

It’s always better to plan ahead if you’re going out and drinking.

·        Organise a lift,

·        Pre-book a taxi or use public transport,

·        Designate a driver for the night who isn’t drinking,

·        Have a non-alcoholic drink if you’re driving.

Don’t forget to keep these in mind the next morning if you’ve been drinking. Time is the only thing that gets alcohol out of your system.