Not Fit To Drive – Three Signs of Trouble

A quarter of all fatal car accidents in Australia involve people who are over the legal limit and in some states this rises to one in three. RSA Melbourne Courses will give you some guidelines on how to spot customers who have had too much to drink, but how will you know if you, personally, are not fit to drive?

The legal limit for blood alcohol concentration is 0.05. If you are a learner or probation driver it is 0. Why so low? Any amount of alcohol consumption can affect your reactions and perception of risk, but above this level you double your risk of having a crash. Here are three signs that you should definitely not be driving.

1. You pick up your friend’s drink instead of your own.

One reason drink driving is so dangerous is because alcohol impairs your judgement of distance, so if you go for your beer and pick up your mate’s, it might be a hint that your aim and vision are slightly off. Likewise, if you find yourself accidentally brushing into other people or having difficulty locating your table, the exit or the loo, then it’s definitely time to book that cab.

2. You’re having three conversations at once – several times over.

Alcohol affects your concentration and reduces your attention span, so if you find yourself flitting between conversations or unable to have a chat and follow the game on the big screen, chances are that you are already over the limit.

One simple test is to keep track of what you’re drinking. In normal circumstances, a man can consume two standard alcoholic drinks in the first hour and one per hour after that and women can consume one per hour. A standard drink is a pint or stubby of regular beer or a small glass of wine or champagne. Having trouble working out what you’ve had? Chances are your concentration and judgement have already been affected and it’s time to put away the keys.

3. You’re just really, really happy and you are SURE you could beat everyone in the bar at pool.

Alcohol is a depressant, but at a certain point – way over the legal alcohol limit – it can trigger feelings of euphoria. In this state, you can vastly overestimate your abilities, leading you to behave recklessly. Not only does your chance of having an accident increase tenfold at this point, but you really won’t win that game of pool. Your peripheral vision and perception of obstacles are badly impaired. Sit behind the wheel of a car now, and you are risking your life and the life of everyone else on the road.

Don’t make a night to remember a night you’ll forever want to forget – book a cab, plan a designated driver and don’t drink and drive.