Asger Risom
Ministers say safety on the roads has stalled, but for pub-goers the changes could mean rethinking even a single drink before driving.
A proposed overhaul of drink-driving laws could quietly reshape nights out across England and Wales. Ministers say safety on the roads has stalled, but for pub-goers the changes could mean rethinking even a single drink before driving.
Lower legal bar
The UK government has announced plans to review drink-driving rules as part of a wider road safety strategy. According to the Daily Express, the current legal limit in England and Wales is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, a figure unchanged since 1967.
Under the proposals, that threshold could fall to 22 micrograms, aligning England and Wales with Scotland, which reduced its limit in 2014. Northern Ireland would continue with the higher limit under the existing framework.
The government said progress on improving road safety had “stalled” and confirmed it would consult on lowering the drink-drive limit, the Express reported.
What counts as too much
Emergency medicine doctor Ann Jarris told the Express that a 22mcg breath limit is broadly equivalent to a 0.05% blood alcohol concentration. She warned drivers not to rely on fixed drink counts.
“At this level, there isn’t a safe or universal ‘number of drinks’ that guarantees you’ll be legal”, she said.
Dr Jarris added: “As a rough guide, for an average-build man, about one pint (568ml) of 4% beer may leave you under at peak, while two pints will put most people over.
“A single strong pint at 5% can push many over the limit. A 175ml glass of 12% wine could be close to the limit, a 250ml pub glass will likely be over, and two single 25ml measures of 40% spirits may be close while doubles or mixed drinks usually tip you over.”
She said women may reach or exceed the limit with even one pint of 4% beer or a 175ml glass of 12% wine.
No safe estimate
Dr Jarris stressed that individual factors make alcohol levels unpredictable. “These are population averages, not promises, because absorption and elimination vary widely with physiology, food, and timing,” she said.
She added: “From an emergency medicine, public safety, and compliance and risk management perspective, the practical, lawful choice is not to drink at all if you’ll be driving.”
She also warned that variations in drink strength and pouring sizes in pubs and at events increase the risk of misjudging intake, making caution essential if the lower limit is introduced.
Sources: Express
