How many drinks can I have and still be able to drive?
How many drinks can I have before driving?
No one should be driving after drinking. Alcohol impacts your ability to drive by slowing your brain, reducing your ability to judge speed and distance, and by making it harder for you to make quick decisions.
You don’t need to be drunk to be affected by alcohol.
An average of 52 lives have been lost annually over the last five years due road crashes involving alcohol, which is 17 percent of all fatalities on NSW roads.
What is a standard drink?
In Australia, a standard drink is any alcoholic drink that contains 10 grams of pure alcohol. But many common alcoholic drinks contain more than one standard drink per serve. Scroll through the images below to see the difference between a standard drink and the average serving size.
What other factors affect your BAC?
Your blood alcohol level (BAC) depends on various factors, making it challenging to accurately calculate. Such factors could include:
- Body Weight: Heavier individuals typically have a lower BAC than lighter individuals when they consume the same amount of alcohol.
- Gender: Women usually have a higher BAC than men with the same alcohol intake due to differences in body fat and water content.
- Food intake: Eating before or while drinking can slow alcohol absorption, leading to a lower BAC. An empty stomach increases BAC faster.
- Rate of consumption: Drinking a lot of alcohol quickly, like binge drinking or doing many shots in a row, makes your BAC go up faster because your body can't break down the alcohol as quickly as you're drinking it.
- Tolerance: Regular drinkers may develop a higher tolerance to alcohol meaning they're less likely to be affected by it whilst maintaining an elevated BAC.
- Medications and health conditions: Certain drugs and health issues can interfere with alcohol, either intensifying or reducing their effects as well as impairing your ability to metabolise alcohol.
- Age: As people get older, they often have higher BAC levels compared to younger individuals because of changes like having less body water and a slower alcohol elimination rate.
- Hydration: Staying well-hydrated aids in processing alcohol, potentially resulting in a lower BAC.
- Overall health: General health and liver function can impact how efficiently your body processes alcohol.
Remember, your BAC begins to rise as soon as you start drinking and may continue to increase for up to two hours after you stop. Because it's impossible to accurately calculate your BAC and stay under the legal driving limit of 0.05 BAC, we recommend not to drive after any amount of drinking.
How can I get home if I've had too many drinks?
If you’re going drinking, have a plan on how to get home before you go out. What you can do:
- Leave the car at home: If you're planning to drink, it's best to leave your car behind to avoid any temptation to drive
- Use rideshare or taxi services: While these options may come at a high cost, it's a small price to pay compared to the dangers of driving under the influence. If you're worried about the cost, many associated websites for these services offer online tools to help you estimate trip costs and make an informed budget-friendly choice
- Take public transport: Utilise available public transportation services, which can often be an affordable and convenient way to get around and return home safely
- Arrange for a sober driver: If possible, ask a friend or family member who hasn't been drinking to drive you home safely.
If these options aren’t available where you are, there’s still plenty of ways to have a good night out without driving. Take advantage of any community run night bus services or other locals offering to be a designated driver. Why not drink at a mate’s place and plan to stay the night or be the host yourself. In the end, planning ahead and being responsible can help to keep everyone safe and create a great night out for all without the risk of drinking and driving.
