The parliamentary session on Friday debated an amendment to the Road Traffic Act with one of the proposed changes being to make it a crime to drive with over 0.1% of blood-alcohol content (BAC), meaning one part per thousand.
Drivers caught with such a high level will automatically be charged with having committed a crime, regardless of whether they have caused an accident or not, and so could spend up to a year in prison. To date it is treated as an offence, but not as a crime.
If it is a third offence, the driver will most likely face a lifetime ban as well, and anyone who has been drinking and causes a fatal accident will be subject to the same punishments, regardless of the level of BAC.
Another feature of the revision is that anyone causing three accidents over the space of five years could be deprived of their license and will have to resit their test, with this punishment applying also to those who are caught driving under the influence twice .
The amendment was passed thanks to the backing of 76 MPs and the force of the revision will take effect from September.
Table of Blood-alcohol content (BAC)
| Male Female |
Approximate blood alcohol percentage (by vol.) One drink has 0.5 US fl oz (15 ml) alcohol by volume |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinks | Body weight | ||||||||
| 40 kg | 45 kg | 55 kg | 64 kg | 73 kg | 82 kg | 91 kg | 100 kg | 109 kg | |
| 90 lb | 100 lb | 120 lb | 140 lb | 160 lb | 180 lb | 200 lb | 220 lb | 240 lb | |
| 1 | – 0.05 |
0.04 0.05 |
0.03 0.04 |
0.03 0.03 |
0.02 0.03 |
0.02 0.03 |
0.02 0.02 |
0.02 0.02 |
0.02 0.02 |
| 2 | – 0.10 |
0.08 0.09 |
0.06 0.08 |
0.05 0.07 |
0.05 0.06 |
0.04 0.05 |
0.04 0.05 |
0.03 0.04 |
0.03 0.04 |
| 3 | – 0.15 |
0.11 0.14 |
0.09 0.11 |
0.08 0.10 |
0.07 0.09 |
0.06 0.08 |
0.06 0.07 |
0.05 0.06 |
0.05 0.06 |
| 4 | – 0.20 |
0.15 0.18 |
0.12 0.15 |
0.11 0.13 |
0.09 0.11 |
0.08 0.10 |
0.08 0.09 |
0.07 0.08 |
0.06 0.08 |
| 5 | – 0.25 |
0.19 0.23 |
0.16 0.19 |
0.13 0.16 |
0.12 0.14 |
0.11 0.13 |
0.09 0.11 |
0.09 0.10 |
0.08 0.09 |
| 6 | – 0.30 |
0.23 0.27 |
0.19 0.23 |
0.16 0.19 |
0.14 0.17 |
0.13 0.15 |
0.11 0.14 |
0.10 0.12 |
0.09 0.11 |
| 7 | – 0.35 |
0.26 0.32 |
0.22 0.27 |
0.19 0.23 |
0.16 0.20 |
0.15 0.18 |
0.13 0.16 |
0.12 0.14 |
0.11 0.13 |
| 8 | – 0.40 |
0.30 0.36 |
0.25 0.30 |
0.21 0.26 |
0.19 0.23 |
0.17 0.20 |
0.15 0.18 |
0.14 0.17 |
0.13 0.15 |
| 9 | – 0.45 |
0.34 0.41 |
0.28 0.34 |
0.24 0.29 |
0.21 0.26 |
0.19 0.23 |
0.17 0.20 |
0.15 0.19 |
0.14 0.17 |
| 10 | – 0.51 |
0.38 0.45 |
0.31 0.38 |
0.27 0.32 |
0.23 0.28 |
0.21 0.25 |
0.19 0.23 |
0.17 0.21 |
0.16 0.19 |
| Subtract approximately 0.01 every 40 minutes after drinking. | |||||||||