driving

Drink driving

Alcohol seriously impairs your judgement, co-ordination and reactions. It can make you a hazard to yourself, your passengers, other road users and pedestrians, which is why drink driving is such a serious offence.

The limits:

Alcohol in the body can be measured in the breath, blood or urine. You will be found guilty of drink-driving if you have more than:

• 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath
• 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
• 107 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine

Remember that different drinks contain different amounts of alcohol, and lots of different factors can affect how quickly your body absorbs what you drink. This means that one pint might have a stronger effect on you than somebody else. So if you're unsure how much you've had, don't drive. Ideally, if you've enjoyed a drink don't get behind the wheel at all. As for sobering up, give yourself at least an hour for every half-pint you've had - but even then the smart move is to stay out of the driving seat.

Getting hold of a set of wheels can be a defining moment in your life. You're free, you're independent, you're happy go lucky; but getting a car or a motorbike can land you in a whole heap of trouble if you're not aware of what you need to do to stay legal. So read on...

Learning To Drive a car

Before you drive a motor vehicle you must have a provisional licence for that class of motor vehicle. The vehicle must be insured for you (shop around for the best deal). Your car must be taxed, and if it is more than three years old it must be MOT tested. To apply for a licence, tax your vehicle or apply for driving tests, get the forms from any main Post Office.