Many factors can affect your driving, including alcohol, drugs, tiredness, mobile phones, eyesight and age.
Drink driving
Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. Because each person's tolerance of alcohol depends on various factors, including weight, gender and age, there’s no certain way of staying under the limit if you drink, or of knowing how much you can drink and still drive safely.
If you drive when you have drunk twice the legal alcohol limit, you're at least 30 times more likely to cause a road accident than a driver who hasn't been drinking. If you’ve been drinking, don't drive.
The only safe option is not to drink if you intend to drive. There are plenty of alternative ways to get home. You could:
- pre-book a taxi
- use public transport
- stay with a friend overnight
- arrange to get a lift with someone who isn't drinking
Coffee and cold showers the morning after a night of heavy drinking don't help you sober up. Time is the only way to get alcohol out of your system. This means you could still be over the legal limit for driving many hours after you've stopped drinking, including driving to work or while on the school run the next morning.
Get tips on cutting down your drinking.
Drug driving
Research suggests that one in 10 road accident deaths may be linked to drug driving (although this is not a definite figure). Driving while under the influence of drugs, including prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication, is just as dangerous as drink driving.
The effects of certain drugs can last for some time after use and can lead to slower reaction times, poor concentration, sleepiness, distorted perception and overconfidence.
If you’re taking prescription or OTC medicines you must be sure your ability to drive is not affected. The best way to find out is to ask for advice from your GP or pharmacist. They’ll advise you how to take the medicine to control your medical condition without risking your safety on the road.
Find out more about the effects of drugs.
Driver tiredness
One crash in every five on major roads is caused by the driver being tired. Drowsy drivers often try to combat tiredness by opening a window or turning up the radio, but that’s not always enough. What they really need is a short break from driving.
If you're driving a long distance, take a 15-minute break every couple of hours. Don’t start a long trip if you're already tired. Try not to make long trips between midnight and 6am when you're likely to feel sleepy anyway. If you start to feel sleepy, find a safe place to stop and have a rest. Also have a caffeine drink if you can.
Mobile phones
Speaking or texting on a mobile phone distracts drivers and slows reaction times. Research shows that drivers using a mobile phone are four times more likely to have an accident.
It’s an offence to use a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while driving. Hands-free phones are also a distraction and you risk prosecution for not having proper control of a vehicle if the police see you driving poorly while using one.
Don’t answer your phone while driving. Return unanswered calls when you've parked safely. If you call someone on their mobile phone and they say they're driving when they answer, tell them you'll call them later and hang up.
Eyesight
Have regular eye tests as your eyesight can change without you realising it. An optician can also spot the early signs of certain medical conditions, such as cataracts, glaucoma and diabetes, which can affect your fitness to drive.
If your eyesight meets the required standard for driving but you have cataracts, avoid driving at night and against the glare of bright sunlight. If you develop glaucoma or any other eye disease, or experience any changes in your eyes, consult your GP or an eye specialist about your fitness to drive.
Get tips on looking after your eyes.
Older drivers
There’s no legal age at which you have to stop driving, so it's your responsibility to think about whether you're still able.
However, you must renew your driving licence every three years after you turn 70. Find out about renewing your licence at 70 years-old.
As we get older our sight, hearing and reaction times may become less sharp. Experienced driver assessments can help you identify areas where you might need to improve your driving.
Your decision to continue to drive may also be influenced by the following medical conditions:
- any heart condition
- epilepsy
- diabetes
- serious mobility issues
If you have one of the above conditions you are required to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
