Alcohol is a major factor in road deaths in Victoria. Each year about one quarter of drivers killed in road crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .05 or greater.
At a BAC of .05, your risk of being involved in a road crash is about double compared with a BAC of zero.
In this section you will learn that you need time to recover from drinking alcohol and that it affects people differently. There are also tips for keeping your BAC below .05.
Allow time to recover
Alcohol affects people differently
How can you check your BAC?
Keep your BAC under .05
Don’t combine alcohol with drugs and medicines
Tips for Safer Travel
If you have been drinking, you have to allow time for the alcohol in your bloodstream to reduce before you drive. These do not help – cold showers, exercise, black coffee, fresh air, or vomiting.
The more you drink, the more time you must allow. For example, if you drink a lot at night, you may still have a BAC of .05 or more the following morning.
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Two people who drink the same amount can register quite different BACs. This is due to factors such as:
- body size – a smaller person will have a higher BAC than a larger person
- body fat – people with a lot of body fat tend to have a higher BAC
- gender – a woman will almost always have a higher BAC than a man who drinks the same amount.
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There is no set number of drinks to stay under .05 BAC. In fact one person drinking a set number of drinks can reach different BAC results on different occasions.
You can get an idea of your BAC level by recording your drinks and testing yourself on a number of occasions. Use a coin operated breath tester available in some venues.
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To help you avoid going over the limit try the following:
- start with a soft drink or water
- drink light alcoholic drinks
- only have one type of drink
- alternate between alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks
- avoid drinking in ‘shouts’
- don’t let people top up your glass.
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Do not drink alcohol when you are taking other drugs. Even small amounts of alcohol in combination with drugs or medications can reduce your ability to drive.
This applies to medicines prescribed by your doctor, bought in a supermarket or pharmacy, or illicit drugs such as cannabis or speed.
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If you are going to drive, it’s safer not to drink at all. You can avoid driving by planning ahead:
- designate a non-drinking driver
- hire a taxi
- use public transport
- stay the night (make sure you are not still over the limit in the morning)
- arrange for someone to pick you up.
- Only accept a lift if you are certain the driver has not been drinking or using other drugs.
The alcohol interlock is a road safety measure that protects drink driving offenders and other road users from the dangers of drink driving.
It can be used by all drivers to test whether they can drive safely.
An alcohol interlock prevents a car starting if the driver has been drinking.
In Victoria an alcohol interlock is fitted to a car whose driver has been convicted of serious drink driving offences.
The publication "Victoria's alcohol interlock program" has full details and is available in full length or summary versions below.
Alcohol Interlock Program [PDF 20pp, 712kb]
Alcohol Interlock Program Summary [PDF, 4pp, 315kb]
For information on offences and penalties, see: Drink driving.
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