Departments

The Community Safety Branch

THE community safety branch (CSB) has several sections and Road Safety is one of these.

Road Safety

The Road safety section is split into 4 further areas, Child Seat Information, Drink Drive, Kerbcraft and Speed.

Drink driving information

Questions and answers

How much alcohol can I safely drink and then drive?

NONE - any amount of alcohol will seriously affect your judgement and control

How much alcohol can I drink and provide a negative breath test on this machine?

The legal limit above which you must not drive is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood

The amount of alcohol it takes a person to reach these levels is very difficult to determine and will vary between individuals
There is no safe answer. The only way to guarantee that you will provide a negative breath test is not to drink

Facts about drink-driving

At twice the current drink-drive limit you are at least 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision
On average 3,000 people a year are killed or seriously injured in drink-drive collisions
One in seven deaths on the roads involve drivers who are over the legal limit
In 2005, 240 people were detained for drink driving in Jersey

What is a unit of alcohol?

One unit is normally referred to as a glass of wine or a measure of spirit or a half-pint of normal strength beer. It is defined as how much alcohol can pass through the average persons body in one hour, this has been calculated to be 8g.

The main problem with using this method of calculation is knowing exactly how much you have had to drink. The strength of beers and wine varies tremendously, in pubs you get a measure of wine, whereas if you drink at home the glass size can vary.
This is a very unreliable way of calculating the level of alcohol within your body: Advice is very generalised and everyone's body reacts in different ways, making it impossible to tell how much alcohol is in your system without taking a breath test.
The only sure way is NOT to drink.

The morning after:

How long after drinking is it safe to drive?

Many people think that when they get into their car ‘the morning after’ they will be safe to legally drive, but will they?
Take a Saturday night's drinking:

At midnight you may have 200 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood in your system.

This is 2½ times the drink drive limit

At 7.30 a.m. there will still be 90 milligrams per 100 millilitres in your system - you are still over the drink-drive limit
By lunchtime you will still have about 20 milligrams within your system, not above the limit but still enough to adversely affect your driving.

This is particularly important with society becoming more '24 hour'
Because of shift rotas or flexi-time systems many people are at work before 7 a.m. And if they have been drinking on the previous evening they may still be over the limit when driving to work.
It is impossible to get alcohol out of your system quickly. Coffee and a shower will not speed the process up, it just takes time.

Where and when can I be breath tested?

If you are involved in a collision - whether it is your fault or not - you will be required to provide a breath sample. This applies 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year
If you are attempting to drive a vehicle. This is where you are trying to drive but you do not meet the full legal definition. An example would be trying to start a car
If you are in charge of a vehicle. This is where the driver is in the vehicle even if it is not moving
If you commit a moving traffic offence. Examples include excess speed, failing to stop for a red light or not wearing a seat belt
Another example includes failing to stop after a collision. The police could trace your vehicle and request a breath sample, even if you had left the vehicle

What if I am convicted of drink driving?

You will have a criminal record
You will be disqualified from driving for at least a year
Your next vehicle insurance premium will significantly increase
You will have difficulty hiring a car for the next 10 years
Your lifestyle will change dramatically. It will be much worse if you injure or kill someone

You may have to retake your driving test and attend rehabilitation to regain your licence.

Examples of some penalties

Causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs: a fine or imprisonment up to a maximum 10-years and disqualified for at least one year
Driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs: For a first offence a fine not exceeding £2000 and the loss of your licence for at least 12 months. For a second offence committed within ten years, a fine not exceeding £2000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months and a loss of licence for a period up to three years.
Driving or being in charge of a vehicle with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit: a fine not exceeding £2000 and/or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and a ban from holding a licence for at least 12 months. Any subsequent offence committed within ten years a ban of up to three years can be imposed in addition to the above fine and imprisonment.
Refusing to provide a specimen: a fine not exceeding £2000 and or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and a ban from holding a licence for at least twelve months.

If you are going to drive – don’t drink.

further information available www.think.dtlr.gov.uk