You are 20 and have had your B licence for two years. At a birthday party in Zwolle you drank one glass of wine at eight o'clock. At half past nine you quickly drink an espresso and want to drive home. What applies to you?
- Like an experienced driver you may go up to 0.5 per mille, so one glass is fine
- The espresso speeds up the breakdown, so you are now surely below 0.2 per mille
- ✓ For you the limit is 0.2 per mille; only time lowers your level, the espresso does not
Correct answer: For you the limit is 0.2 per mille; only time lowers your level, the espresso does not
Explanation
False — you forget that you are a novice driver. In the first five years after your first licence a lower limit of 0.2 per mille applies to you, not 0.5. One glass of wine already gives 0.2 to 0.3 per mille on average
Why learners get this wrong
- Wrong: you forget that you are a novice driver. In the first five years after your first licence a lower limit of 0.2 per mille applies to you, not 0.5. One glass of wine already gives 0.2 to 0.3 per mille on average
- Wrong: you think coffee sobers you up faster. Your body breaks down alcohol at a fixed rate of 0.1 to 0.2 per mille per hour; coffee or water changes nothing, only time helps
Topic: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass
Read the rule: Core: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass
Sections
- Challenge: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass
- The model: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass
- Core: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass
- Why it matters: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass
- Active recall: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass
- Teach back: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass
- Memory hook: Alcohol behind the wheel: the limit and the glass