The legal alcohol limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for driving is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. In Scotland, the limit is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood or 22 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

There is no way to know how much you can drink and stay under the limit, since it can depend on your weight, age, metabolism, the amount of food you've eaten and other factors.

It's impossible to get alcohol out of your system quickly, it always takes time. A shower, a cup of coffee or other ways of ‘sobering up’ may make you feel better but won’t remove the alcohol from your system.

If you've been out drinking, you may still be affected by alcohol the next day and could lose your licence if you drive and are still over the legal limit.

Alcohol affects everyone differently and any amount can impair your ability to drive. The only safe option is to avoid alcohol completely if you’re driving as even ‘just one drink’ could put you over the limit.

You may feel able to control a vehicle after small amounts of alcohol, but the risk comes from the effect alcohol has on our decision-making ability, making drivers less able to make correct choices, when faced with decisions.

If you’re driving, don’t drink any alcohol at all.

Penalties
If you're found to be over the drink-drive limit, you can receive:

• A criminal record.
• A maximum penalty of six months in prison.
• An unlimited fine.
• An automatic driving ban of at least one year (three years if you have been convicted twice in 10 years).

Other problems you may face include:

• An endorsement on your driving licence for 11 years.
• An increased insurance premium.
• If you drive for work, your employer will see your conviction on your licence.
• Trouble travelling to certain countries, like the USA.

If a driver kills someone while under the influence of alcohol, they can be charged with causing death by dangerous driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Plan ahead:

Before you even consider a night out, it is important to know your limits.

By planning ahead, you can make responsible choices, and keep yourself, and others, safe.

Book a reputable taxi, know the bus times, or download the Travel Essex App: Travel Essex – Apps on Google Play

Essex Police can stop you and conduct a roadside screening test or a field impairment test, both of which may result in your arrest if:

• They think you have taken drugs.
• You’ve committed a traffic offence.
• You’ve been involved in a road traffic collision.

Even if you pass the roadside check, you may still be arrested if the police suspect that your driving is impaired by drugs, and you can be taken to a police station for further tests.

An arrest can still be made if there is a negative screening test at the scene, if the police believe a driver is impaired through drink or drugs (both prescription and illicit). Upon arrest, a blood sample is taken for forensic analysis to determine the exact level of drugs in the system for evidential purposes.

The drugs that Essex Police can test for are:

Amphetamine
Benzoylecgonine
Clonazepam
Cocaine
Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC from cannabis)
Diazepam
Flunitrazepam
Ketamine
Lorazepam
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)
Methadone
Methylamphetamine
Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
6-Monoacetylmorphine
Morphine
Oxazepam
Temazepam

Penalties
If you're found to be driving while impaired by drugs, you can receive:

• a criminal record
• a maximum penalty of six months in prison
• an unlimited fine
• an automatic driving ban of at least one year (three years if you have been convicted twice in 10 years)

Other problems you may face include:

• an endorsement on your driving licence for 11 years
• an increased insurance premium
• if you drive for work, your employer will see your conviction on your licence.
• trouble travelling to countries like the USA.

If a driver kills someone while under the influence of drugs, they can be charged with causing death by dangerous driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.