Summary
Any alcohol at all will affect your ability to drive. In Australia, it is an offence to drive while your blood alcohol concentrate (BAC) is 0.05 or above. In other words, the legal limit (the limit you must not exceed) is under 0.05. If you are a learner (L-Plate), provisional (P-plate) or professional driver, the legal limit is either zero or under 0.02.
Alcohol will:
- Reduce your ability to do more than one thing at a time
- Make it hard for you to concentrate on your driving
- Slow down your reaction time if something unexpected happens
- Make you feel more confident, which may lead you to take risks
- Upset your vision, especially at night, and your hearing
- Make simple tasks more difficult
- Relax you, making you more likely to fall asleep at the wheel
For information on standard drinks, visit the National Health and Medical Research Council, 2009 Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/ds10syn.htm
Type: Safety Education Material
Publication Date: 01/01/05