Experts propose to limit the maximum blood alcohol level for drivers to 0.2 per mille. Interestingly, this limit will be lower depending on age: if a young driver can only afford 20 milligrams per 100 milliliters, then the older generation can relax and “drink” up to 50 mg.
Recall that in Latvia the permitted level is 0.2 per mille, in Belgium and Germany - 0.5 per mille, and in France - 0.8.
Notably, Russian Health Ministry experts themselves have not yet decided how much and in what quantities drivers can drink. The blood alcohol level depends not so much on the volume of alcohol consumed, but on how much time has passed since the consumption, as well as on the person's age and weight, reports NEWSRUcom. “Alcohol can remain in the blood for a long time after drinking, but the driver will not be considered drunk in this case. Moreover, a dose of 0.5 per mille can be caused by certain medications taken by the driver, and even, for example, kefir,” explained a representative of the research institute.
It seems that per mille will not be the only surprise for motorists. According to a proposal by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), to improve road safety, a maximum speed limit may be introduced: 50 kilometers per hour in the city, and 30 km/h in residential areas.
According to ECMT Secretary General Jack Short, to prevent corruption on the roads, consideration could be given to creating elite units with higher salaries and control powers. ECMT participants also propose increasing the use of seat belts by mandating that domestic cars be equipped with devices reminding drivers to “buckle up.” Finally, it is proposed to require all vehicles to drive with headlights on low beam at all times, even during daylight hours, reports Izvestia.
Reference
Per mille (from Latin pro mille - per thousand) is one thousandth of any number, denoted by the symbol ‰ (one tenth of a percent). The content of alcohol vapor in exhaled air is expressed in milligrams per 1 m3 (mg/m3). An alcohol content of 450 mg/m3 in exhaled air corresponds, in conversion, to 1 per mille of alcohol in the blood.
It can take from 30 to 120 minutes from the moment of alcohol consumption to reach its maximum concentration in the blood. Alcohol is processed (oxidized) at an average rate of about 7-10 g of alcohol per hour, which corresponds to a decrease in its concentration in the blood by approximately 0.1-0.16 per mille.
Alcometric criteria for intoxication:
* mild intoxication - from 1 to 2 per mille;
* - moderate intoxication - from 2 to 3 per mille;
* severe intoxication - from 3 to 4 per mille;
* alcoholic coma - over 4 per mille.
Alcohol is absorbed differently by male and female bodies, so the amount of “allowed” drinking also differs. Here are two examples.
A man weighing 80 kg drank 2 bottles (1 liter) of this beer. Fluid in a man makes up about 70% of total body weight; in this case it is 56 kg. This means that per 1,000 g of fluid in the body there is 0.6 g of pure alcohol (0.06%), or 0.6 per mille. In women, body fluid is 60%. And with a weight of 55 kg, after drinking beer it will be 1.06 per mille.
How about them?
In the USA and Canada, the permitted blood alcohol level is 0.08 per mille. Exceeding this limit, the driver risks losing their license for a certain period. In addition, they may be sent to driving school (usually 8 hours at $50 per hour) to watch films about accidents. If the blood alcohol level is much higher than allowed, the court may sentence the offender to various punishments – from working for a certain time in a morgue to imprisonment.
In Sweden, 0.2 per mille carries a fine of $150. In France, fines are imposed according to the degree of intoxication, from $200 for a mild degree (0.8 per mille) to $6,000 (over 1.5 per mille).
In Germany, where 0.5 per mille is permitted, in the event that the driver demonstrates uncertain driving, especially if he becomes a participant in an accident or a violator of speed limits, overtaking rules, etc., liability begins at 0.3 (corresponding to approximately 0.5 liters of beer) per mille. It is interesting to note that “uncertain driving” means quite specific violations – such as failing to stay in lane (“weaving” on the road), running a red light, colliding with a parked car while parking, etc. And if it is proven that these violations occurred due to the effect of alcohol on the body, then fines are imposed according to the scale “blood alcohol of 1.1 per mille and above,” regardless of how much the driver consumed. If the “mistake” is repeated, the driver will lose his license for 3 months and pay €500. Each subsequent case costs €750 and 3 months of license deprivation, as well as 7 penalty points.
The same system applies to drug users, whose numbers among young European drivers have increased significantly in recent years. Unlike alcohol, the presence of drugs in the body cannot be measured, so it is sufficient to prove only the very fact of their use. Today, European police have rapid tests in their arsenal that can detect drugs such as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, or hashish. The test stick reacts to sweat or saliva. If the test is positive, the suspect is sent for a blood test. If the case is complicated by catching the driver while committing a violation or an accident, they face imprisonment and confiscation of their driver's license.
By the way, the British magazine Max Power, dedicated to car tuning, conducted a survey among its readers and found that about 59% of them had driven a car under the influence of light drugs. Moreover, for 20%, driving “high” is a normal daily practice.
It also turned out that 37% of surveyed British readers had gotten behind the wheel after using cocaine, and 44% had driven a car with passengers under the influence of drugs. At the same time, 67% believe that this is not as dangerous as drunk driving, and 46% are afraid of being caught by the police.
Alcohol records
It is believed that in an average person, vomiting begins at a level of 1.2 per mille, at 3 per mille he loses consciousness, and at 4 per mille breathing stops and the person dies. However, history knows other cases. A citizen of Bulgaria managed to set a new record related to alcohol consumption. In the blood of 67-year-old Petar Petrov, a resident of the city of Plovdiv, doctors recorded an extremely high alcohol content – 9.14 per mille.
The alcohol content of 9.14 per mille roughly corresponds to 2 liters of a 40-degree alcoholic beverage. At the same time, Petar Petrov could still walk and coherently answer doctors' questions. If it weren't for the Mercedes that hit the Bulgarian, the “hero” would have remained unknown.
The previous recorded record for blood alcohol content belonged to a citizen of Latvia, who was found near a bus stop in Riga. His body contained 7.22 per mille of alcohol. This amount would have been enough for two lethal doses for an ordinary person.