What is the legal drink drive unit limit in the UK 2022?

With street parties and barbeques galore, whether you're a royalist or not everyone will be letting their hair down this weekend - but do you know the legal drink drive limits?

What is the legal drink drive unit limit?

With the Platinum pudding being a boozy trifle and plenty of beer deals going on at pubs up and down the country, the safest and fool-proof way of ensuring your safety is to avoid any alcohol containing products. 

New Highway Code rules 2022

The drink driving limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, in Scotland this limit is reduced to 22 micrograms - so just one drink could get you over the limit.

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There is no hard and fast rule on how much alcohol you can consume and legally drive - the best rule of thumb is to not drink at all if you are going to drive.

Driving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit or unfit through drink could land you six months in prison, an unlimited fine and a driving ban.

How many units in a pint of beer?

• Pint of lower-strength lager/beer/cider (568ml, ABV 3.6 per cent) - two units;
• Pint of ordinary-strength lager/beer/cider (568ml, ABV four per cent) - 2.3 units;
• Pint of higher-strength lager/beer/cider (568ml, ABV 5.2 per cent) - three units
• Bottle of lager/beer/cider (330ml, ABV five per cent) - 1.7 units;
• Can of lager/beer/cider (500ml, ABV 5.5 per cent) - 2.8 units;

If in doubt go for an alcohol free drink, never drink and drive.

• Small glass of wine (125ml, ABV 13 per cent) - 1.6 units;
• Standard glass of wine (175ml, ABV 13 per cent) - 2.3 units;
• Large glass of wine (250ml, ABV 13 per cent) - 3.3 units;
• Alcopop (275ml, ABV 4.5 per cent) - 1.5 units;
• Single shot of spirits (25ml, ABV 40 per cent) - one unit;
• Double shot of spirits (50ml, ABV 40 per cent) - two units.

What happens if you get caught drink driving?

There is no hard and fast rule on how much alcohol you can consume and legally drive - the best rule of thumb is to not drink at all if you are going to drive.

Of all driver and rider fatalities recorded in 2018, 19 per cent were caused by drink drivers, government statistics show.

Man being breathalysed. Credit: PA

Research by road safety charity Brake found that more than 5,000 motorists have been caught drink-driving on two or more occasions in the past four years.

Driving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit or unfit through drink could land you six months in prison, an unlimited fine and a driving ban.

If you’re found guilty of drink-driving, you could face up to six months imprisonment, an unlimited fine, and a driving ban of at least one year.

Always nominate a designated and if in doubt, never drink or consume any alcohol products before driving.