THE LIMITS
Two sets of numbers
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the limit is 35 micrograms per 100 ml of breath. Scotland's is lower, at 22.
Compare the limitsThe limit is a number in your breath, not in your glass.
GOV.UK says it is impossible to say exactly how many drinks the drink-drive limit equals, because it is different for each person. This independent guide sets out the limits, what the Highway Code says about alcohol below them, and how the law has changed UK roads since 1967.
- Limits differ in Scotland
- Drinks can't be counted to it
- Impaired even below it
- The simplest rule is none
THE SHORT ANSWER
Know the limit,
don't aim for it.
The limits are legal lines, not targets.
The Highway Code says alcohol affects driving even below them.
NO SAFE COUNT
It can't be turned into drinks
GOV.UK says it is impossible to say how many drinks the limit equals. It depends on weight, age, sex, metabolism, the drink, food and stress.
Plan ahead
SINCE 1967
A law that changed the roads
The Road Safety Act 1967 set the 80 mg blood limit. Drink-drive deaths fell from 1,640 in 1979 to 200 in 2015, says the Department for Transport.
See the numbersGeneral information only, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a qualified lawyer or a free advice service.
FOUR WAYS TO PLAN AHEAD
Decide before
you go out.
Because no one can count drinks to the limit, the dependable choice is made in advance: either you drive and don't drink, or you drink and don't drive.
Pick the driver early
Agree who is driving before the evening starts, and that they will not drink alcohol.
Book the way home
If you will be drinking, plan a lift, taxi, train or bus home before you leave.
Leave the car
If plans change, leave the car where it is and collect it later.
Ignore rules of thumb
GOV.UK says alcohol affects each person differently, so no count of drinks or hours is a reliable guide.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Far fewer deaths,
still too many.
One figure on how far things have come,
one on where they stand now.
88%
Drop in drink-drive deaths, 1979 to 2015
The Department for Transport says drink-drive deaths fell from 1,640 a year in 1979, when official statistics began, to 200 in 2015.
LONG-TERM FALL · DFT
≈ 220
Deaths in drink-drive collisions, Great Britain
The central estimate for 2024 is 220 deaths (between 190 and 250), down 16% on 2023, with about 1,740 people killed or seriously injured.
LATEST ESTIMATE · DFT 2024
The DfT also estimates around 6,350 casualties of all severities in drink-drive collisions in Great Britain in 2024, little changed from 2023.
THE LIMITS SIDE BY SIDE
How strict is
each limit?
Pick a measurement to see the legal limit for drivers. The bar shows how strict it is: Scotland's limits are lower than the rest of the UK's.
Limits as listed on GOV.UK, 'The drink drive limit', and in Highway Code rule 95. General information, not legal or medical advice.
BELOW THE LIMIT
Under the line
is not unaffected.
Highway Code rule 95 says alcohol gives a false sense of confidence, reduces co-ordination and slows reactions, and affects judgement of speed, distance and risk.
It adds that alcohol reduces your driving ability even if you are below the legal limit. That is why the rule opens simply: do not drink and drive.
In conversation
Questions people ask
What is the drink-drive limit in England?
35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, 80 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood, or 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine. The same limits apply in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Is the limit different in Scotland?
Yes, it is lower: 22 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, 50 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood and 67 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine.
How many drinks can I have and stay under the limit?
GOV.UK says it is impossible to say exactly, because it is different for each person. It depends on weight, age, sex, metabolism, the type and amount of drink, what you have eaten and stress. The Highway Code's advice is not to drink and drive.
When did the drink-drive limit start?
The Road Safety Act 1967 made it an offence to drive with more than 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, a limit that remains in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Is this site legal or medical advice?
No. doodledrunk is an independent informational guide that quotes GOV.UK, the Highway Code and Department for Transport statistics. It is not linked to any police force, government body or drinks brand.
Sources
Each figure on this page comes from the sources below.