Drink Driving Experiment
Data from a new experiment found more than half of drivers don’t know when they are over the drink driving limit.
With the festive season upon us, it’s more important than ever to be mindful of drink driving. Experts are urging drivers not to risk drink driving. A new study has found that drivers wrongly asses when they are over the limit.
The Study
The study was conducted by Dr Kai Hensel was in partnership with Cambridge University and Herdecke University. The experiment saw 90 drivers drink alcohol until they believed they were over the legal limit to drive. The results saw 53% of drivers wrongly thinking they were safe to drive after exceeding the limit. Experts are urging drivers to assess their situation based on the volume of
alcohol they have drunk rather than how they feel. This will help them make better judgments about where they should be getting behind the wheel. Drivers who took part in the study became less likely to estimate their alcohol level the more alcohol they consumed. Dr Hensel said this could have “serious consequences” in countries with higher legal limits.
How Does Alcohol Affect Your Driving Ability?
Drinking can affect a person’s motor function and reaction times. It can also prevent the ability to assess risk accurately. This can all lead to dangerous driving and a higher chance of traffic collision.
Government Advice
The limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Scottish Government reduced the limit to 50mg per 100ml in 2014.
Authorities caught 6,730 drivers breaking the law in 2020. 2019 saw 2,050 people killed or seriously injured (KSI) in a road collision where at least one of the drivers was over the alcohol limit. This was an 8% increase compared to the year before.
Comment
Dr Hensel added:
“These findings show the importance of thinking carefully about getting behind the wheel. We are not always good at making this judgement – and this can have devastating consequences.”
How Can We Help?
Our telematics system measure and rank every aspect of a drivers behaviour behind the wheel. As a fleet manager, you will receive notifications: if a drivers’ speed is excessive; if they are cornering too fast; or if a catastropic event has occured. Our camera systems will also record and stream in-cab video. Fleet managers can also log into this feed and check driver’s wellbeing at any time.
Drink Driving Experiment