UK drivers warned against summer tipples

British motorists planning to drive abroad this summer are being warned that the drink drive limit in England and Wales is higher than anywhere else in Europe – apart from Malta.

The English and Welsh limit is 0.8mg of alcohol per mL of blood (0.80‰BAC). However, in most European countries including France, Germany, Italy and Spain – as well as Scotland and the Republic of Ireland – the limit is 0.5mg (0.50‰BAC).

It’s even lower in Poland, Norway and Sweden at 0.2mg (0.20‰BAC). And in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Russia there’s zero tolerance.

Hunter Abbott, managing director of AlcoSense Laboratories, said, ‘Taking a personal breathalyser with you on holiday removes the guesswork about whether you’re clear of alcohol. It’s far easier than you think to still be under the influence the morning after a few drinks the night before. If you drank four pints of medium-strong beer or four large glasses of wine, it could take as long as 14 hours for the alcohol to clear your system.

‘This is especially important when extra care must be taken driving on the opposite side of the road.’  

You’re also far more likely to be stopped and breathalysed by police abroad. In Estonia, an astonishing 677 out of every 1000 inhabitants are breath tested each year.  The figure for Poland is 466, Finland is 279, Austria is 189 and France is 152 per 1000.