How much alcohol puts you over the limit? Traffic police explain
06/03/2022
EVEN though everyone who uses a car in Spain knows – or should know – what the legal drink-driving limit is, most motorists are unclear as to how much alcohol this translates to in terms of liquid volume, so the Guardia Civil has released a guideline.
Of course, the only safe amount is zero – in all cases, not just on the road – and the Guardia Civil strongly advises those who know they are going to be driving not to touch a single drop.
But what happens if you've sat down for a beer or a glass of wine in front of the TV one evening and, midway through it, an emergency crops up – a friend or family member in crisis, in hospital, or a pet needing to be rushed to the 24-hour veterinary surgery? Even after just one sip, you should forget about driving under normal circumstances – although in an extreme situation like this, would that one sip put you over the limit and leave you at risk of a fine or, more importantly, putting yourself and other road users in serious danger?
Different limits for different people
Changes are afoot in national road traffic laws, which will include under-18s – who, in Spain, cannot drive a car, but may ride a moped, small motorcycle or pushbike – having a total zero alcohol limit, and the margin of 20 kilometres per hour for overtaking no longer permitted.
Full details will be revealed over the next two weeks by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), but the drink-driving limit will remain the same, at 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood, or 0.25 milligrams of alcohol per litre of breath when tested.
For those who have passed their driving test less than two years ago, and for professional drivers – cabbies, coach drivers, and so on – in the course of their work, the limit is lower still, at 0.3 grams per litre of blood or 0.15 milligrams per litre of breath.
This does not mean much to the average driver, so the Guardia Civil has explained it in terms of how many half-pints, or 330-millilitre cans, glasses or bottles this means per person according to sex and weight.
But as everyone metabolises alcohol differently – some 'feel drunk' after half a glass of wine – the figures should be taken as the upper limits and drivers should aim for less.
Vast gulf between men and women
In countries where traffic authorities talk about 'units' of alcohol, a 330ml can or half-pint of beer is considered one 'unit', as is a measure, or a finger, of liqueur or spirits, or a small (125ml) glass of wine.
However, Spain's traffic police only refer to beer, given that it's the most-consumed alcoholic drink in Spain.
As a general rule, says the Guardia Civil, one and a half cans, or three-quarters of a pint, would put men over the limit, or less than a can or half-pint for a woman.
For a man weighing 70 kilos (11 stone, or 154 pounds), a 330ml can of beer would give a breathalyser reading of 0.3 milligrams per litre, below the limit; two cans, or a pint, gives 0.6mg, which is over the limit, and a pint and a half, or three cans, 0.8mg, which is nearly double.
For a man weighing 80 kilos (12st 8lb, or 176lb), a can or a half-pint would be below the limit, at 0.2mg, even for a professional driver; two cans, or a pint, would put them right at the limit and at risk of being ever so slightly over, which would result in a fine – 0.5mg.
A pint and a half, or three cans – practically a litre of beer – would result in a reading of 0.7mg per litre of breath, so nearly one-and-a-half times the alcohol limit.
For women, the liquid quantity consumed to put them into drink-driving territory is much less.
If she weighs 60 kilos (9st 6lb, or 132lb), one can or bottle of beer, or half a pint, puts her right at the 0.5mg limit; two cans or a pint would give a reading of 0.8mg, and a pint and a half, or three cans or bottles would result in a reading of 1.2mg per litre of breath, or 240% of the maximum, which could result in a very hefty fine or even a driving ban.
One can or half a pint of beer would give the same reading for a woman weighing 50 kilos (7st 12lb), although the difference in bodyweight of 10 kilos or 22lb (1st 8lb) could well mean this smaller-framed female is actually slightly over the limit – and if you're over, it doesn't matter whether it's only 'slightly'; you're still guilty of drink-driving.
And for a 50-kilo female, two cans of beer, or a pint, would mean she was at twice the drink-drive limit, at 1mg per litre; three cans or a pint and a half would give a reading of 1.5mg, three times the limit and guaranteed to get a massive fine and almost certainly a driving ban.
Food makes no odds, but don't forget medication
It does not make a difference whether the alcohol consumed was with food – even though one tends not to get, or at least feel, as drunk when beer, wine or spirits are taken with a meal as on an empty stomach, the quantity in the person's system is the same with or without food, so a breathalyser reading would be identical in each case.
In conclusion, if an immediate emergency renders driving necessary when you've only had a sip or two, it's likely you'll be safe to get behind the wheel as long as you feel fully sober; but if there's no emergency, even after a sip or two, you're strongly recommended not to drive at all.
Also, the guidelines released by the Guardia Civil do not take medication into account. If you have taken pharmaceutical drugs, either for one-off relief or regularly and on prescription, the effects of alcohol in combination with them may well be much stronger – so you might still be well below the legal limit, but your reaction times are slower and your capacity for response impaired, making driving dangerous to you and others, despite being, technically, lawful.
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EVEN though everyone who uses a car in Spain knows – or should know – what the legal drink-driving limit is, most motorists are unclear as to how much alcohol this translates to in terms of liquid volume, so the Guardia Civil has released a guideline.
Of course, the only safe amount is zero – in all cases, not just on the road – and the Guardia Civil strongly advises those who know they are going to be driving not to touch a single drop.
But what happens if you've sat down for a beer or a glass of wine in front of the TV one evening and, midway through it, an emergency crops up – a friend or family member in crisis, in hospital, or a pet needing to be rushed to the 24-hour veterinary surgery? Even after just one sip, you should forget about driving under normal circumstances – although in an extreme situation like this, would that one sip put you over the limit and leave you at risk of a fine or, more importantly, putting yourself and other road users in serious danger?
Different limits for different people
Changes are afoot in national road traffic laws, which will include under-18s – who, in Spain, cannot drive a car, but may ride a moped, small motorcycle or pushbike – having a total zero alcohol limit, and the margin of 20 kilometres per hour for overtaking no longer permitted.
Full details will be revealed over the next two weeks by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), but the drink-driving limit will remain the same, at 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood, or 0.25 milligrams of alcohol per litre of breath when tested.
For those who have passed their driving test less than two years ago, and for professional drivers – cabbies, coach drivers, and so on – in the course of their work, the limit is lower still, at 0.3 grams per litre of blood or 0.15 milligrams per litre of breath.
This does not mean much to the average driver, so the Guardia Civil has explained it in terms of how many half-pints, or 330-millilitre cans, glasses or bottles this means per person according to sex and weight.
But as everyone metabolises alcohol differently – some 'feel drunk' after half a glass of wine – the figures should be taken as the upper limits and drivers should aim for less.
Vast gulf between men and women
In countries where traffic authorities talk about 'units' of alcohol, a 330ml can or half-pint of beer is considered one 'unit', as is a measure, or a finger, of liqueur or spirits, or a small (125ml) glass of wine.
However, Spain's traffic police only refer to beer, given that it's the most-consumed alcoholic drink in Spain.
As a general rule, says the Guardia Civil, one and a half cans, or three-quarters of a pint, would put men over the limit, or less than a can or half-pint for a woman.
For a man weighing 70 kilos (11 stone, or 154 pounds), a 330ml can of beer would give a breathalyser reading of 0.3 milligrams per litre, below the limit; two cans, or a pint, gives 0.6mg, which is over the limit, and a pint and a half, or three cans, 0.8mg, which is nearly double.
For a man weighing 80 kilos (12st 8lb, or 176lb), a can or a half-pint would be below the limit, at 0.2mg, even for a professional driver; two cans, or a pint, would put them right at the limit and at risk of being ever so slightly over, which would result in a fine – 0.5mg.
A pint and a half, or three cans – practically a litre of beer – would result in a reading of 0.7mg per litre of breath, so nearly one-and-a-half times the alcohol limit.
For women, the liquid quantity consumed to put them into drink-driving territory is much less.
If she weighs 60 kilos (9st 6lb, or 132lb), one can or bottle of beer, or half a pint, puts her right at the 0.5mg limit; two cans or a pint would give a reading of 0.8mg, and a pint and a half, or three cans or bottles would result in a reading of 1.2mg per litre of breath, or 240% of the maximum, which could result in a very hefty fine or even a driving ban.
One can or half a pint of beer would give the same reading for a woman weighing 50 kilos (7st 12lb), although the difference in bodyweight of 10 kilos or 22lb (1st 8lb) could well mean this smaller-framed female is actually slightly over the limit – and if you're over, it doesn't matter whether it's only 'slightly'; you're still guilty of drink-driving.
And for a 50-kilo female, two cans of beer, or a pint, would mean she was at twice the drink-drive limit, at 1mg per litre; three cans or a pint and a half would give a reading of 1.5mg, three times the limit and guaranteed to get a massive fine and almost certainly a driving ban.
Food makes no odds, but don't forget medication
It does not make a difference whether the alcohol consumed was with food – even though one tends not to get, or at least feel, as drunk when beer, wine or spirits are taken with a meal as on an empty stomach, the quantity in the person's system is the same with or without food, so a breathalyser reading would be identical in each case.
In conclusion, if an immediate emergency renders driving necessary when you've only had a sip or two, it's likely you'll be safe to get behind the wheel as long as you feel fully sober; but if there's no emergency, even after a sip or two, you're strongly recommended not to drive at all.
Also, the guidelines released by the Guardia Civil do not take medication into account. If you have taken pharmaceutical drugs, either for one-off relief or regularly and on prescription, the effects of alcohol in combination with them may well be much stronger – so you might still be well below the legal limit, but your reaction times are slower and your capacity for response impaired, making driving dangerous to you and others, despite being, technically, lawful.