Beware morning after as you may still be over limit

During the party season it is all too easy to get caught up in the Christmas spirit.

It’s a time for celebration, fun and catching up with family and friends.

But it’s also the time when you have to be sure you don’t drink and drive.

The drink-driving limit was lowered in 2015.

The limit is now 50mg in every 100ml of blood, so, beware the morning after as you could still be over the limit and risk your licence the morning after the party night before.

The breath test limit has dropped from 35 to 22 microgrammes.

And road safety campaigners are urging motorists not to take any risks throughout the party season.

They warn that sleep, coffee and cold showers don’t help you to sober up – time is the only way to get alcohol out of your system.

But three years on from the Scottish Government introducing a lower drink drive limit, research from the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland (part of Transport Scotland) found that drinking any alcohol before driving is unacceptable.

And 67 per cent of people wouldn’t consider driving the morning after drinking at night.

The consequences of drink driving in Scotland – The penalties for drink-driving range from mild to severe.

The consequences for drinkdriving can often be life-changing.

Here’s some information on what to expect should you get charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Aside from the criminal penalties, being charged with drink (or drug) driving can have a devastating effect on your life and your career.

Not to mention the risk you’re posing to other people’s lives as well as your own. Criminal penalties Disqualification or loss of licence for at least a year Points on your driving licence Fine of up to £5000 for driving, attempting to drive or refusing a breath test. Criminal record Prison sentence. Car taken away for good The penalty really depends on the severity of the case. At the end of the day, everybody knows that drink driving is against the law so there’s really no excuse. It doesn’t matter how much or how little you’ve had.

The amount of drink you’ve had makes no difference. Whether just over the limit or well over the limit, in the eyes of the law, you are still a convicted drink-driver and the consequences are exactly the same.

And if caught driving over the limit the next morning, you also face the same consequences as if you had been caught the night before.

Non-alcoholic cocktails can still be packed with plenty of cheer. Driver’s punch Ingredients: 100g cranberry 100ml/3½fl oz cranberry juice 500ml blood orange juice (Sanguinello) juice of 1 lime thin wedges of lime thin wedges of orange mint sprigs 600ml Appletise, sparkling apple juice drink To prepare: Put the cranberries into a medium size, rigid freezer container, cover with water (by about 2.5cm), freeze until solid.Mix the cranberry juice in a large jug (about 1.5 litre) with the orange and lime juices.To serve, smash the sheet of frozen cranberries into shards and put in the bottom of eight highball glasses.Put a wedge of lime and orange and a mint sprig in each glass, then pour in the mixed fruit juices and top up with Appletise. Breathe easy Don’t get behind the wheel with alcohol in your system

Spot checks Police officers will be out in force stopping drivers over the festive season