The drink-drive limit has not changed for Christmas 2026. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, or 80mg per 100ml of blood. In Scotland it is lower: 22 micrograms per 100ml of breath, or 50mg per 100ml of blood. The government's Road Safety Strategy, published in January 2026, proposed bringing England and Wales down to the Scottish level, but that has not become law. There is no reliable way to know how many drinks keep you under the limit, so the only safe plan for a party night is not to drive at all, and to think hard about the following morning too.
The limits in full
From GOV.UK's drink-drive limit page:
| Measure | England, Wales and Northern Ireland | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| Breath | 35µg per 100ml | 22µg per 100ml |
| Blood | 80mg per 100ml | 50mg per 100ml |
| Urine | 107mg per 100ml | 67mg per 100ml |
If you cross from England into Scotland for a Christmas visit, the lower limit applies as soon as you are over the border.
Why "two pints" is not a rule
The amount of alcohol it takes to reach the limit depends on your weight, sex, age, metabolism, what you have eaten, how fast you drank, the strength of the drink and the size of the measure. Christmas makes it harder: home-poured glasses of wine are often far bigger than a pub measure, and seasonal beers and mulled drinks vary a lot in strength. GOV.UK itself declines to give a drinks number for this reason. The honest answer is that nobody can tell you a safe number for you on a particular night.
The morning after
Your body clears alcohol at a fairly slow, steady rate, and sleep, coffee, a cold shower or a big breakfast do nothing to speed it up. If you finished drinking late, you can easily still be over the limit for the school run or the drive to see relatives. Police forces run campaigns through December precisely because so many people are caught the next day.
Some practical habits for the season:
- If you will be drinking in the evening, plan the next morning around not driving until well into the day.
- Count the drinks honestly, including the one someone topped up without asking.
- A personal breathalyser can give you a rough idea, but cheap ones are not calibrated like police equipment. Treat a reading near the limit as a fail.
The penalties
GOV.UK's drink-driving penalties page sets out what courts can impose:
- In charge of a vehicle while over the limit or unfit through drink: up to 3 months in prison, a fine of up to £2,500 and a possible ban. You do not have to be driving; sitting in the driver's seat with the keys can be enough.
- Driving or attempting to drive while over the limit: up to 6 months in prison, an unlimited fine and a ban of at least a year, or three years if convicted twice in ten years.
- Refusing to give a breath, blood or urine sample: the same as driving over the limit.
- Causing death by careless driving under the influence: up to life imprisonment, an unlimited fine, a ban of at least five years and an extended retest.
The knock-on costs are often worse than the fine. GOV.UK points out that insurance will rise sharply, an employer who checks your licence will see the conviction, and some countries, including the USA, may make travel harder. High risk offenders do not get their licence back automatically. If you are banned for 12 months or more, the court must offer a drink-drive rehabilitation course that can shorten the ban.
What is being proposed for England and Wales
The January 2026 Road Safety Strategy proposed cutting the limit in England and Wales from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood, or from 35µg to 22µg of breath, matching Scotland. The Institute of Alcohol Studies summary also notes plans to consult on alcohol interlock devices and new powers to suspend licences for people suspected of drink or drug driving. Reporting at the time suggested a lower limit for newly qualified drivers, but that was not a confirmed figure.
As of mid-November 2026 the legal limit on GOV.UK remains the higher one in England and Wales. A change would need legislation and would come with notice. For this Christmas, nothing is different in law, though the safest approach is the same either way.
If you are stopped
Officers can require a breath test if they suspect you have been drinking, if you have committed a traffic offence, or after a collision. Our article on being stopped by the police explains what officers can ask for and which documents you may need to produce. Refusing a test without a reasonable excuse is an offence in its own right, with the same penalties as failing it.
Getting home without the car
The simplest plan is the one made in the afternoon, before anyone has had a drink:
- Agree a designated driver and make sure they have soft drinks they actually like.
- Check the last train or bus. Many services finish early on Christmas Eve and run reduced timetables over the holiday.
- Book a taxi in advance on the big party nights. Phone lines and apps get swamped from about ten in the evening.
- If you drove there and change your mind, leave the car where it is legally parked and collect it later in the day.
One more thingDrugs, including some prescription and over-the-counter medicines, can also make you unfit to drive and carry similar penalties. If a medicine label warns about drowsiness, read the leaflet or ask a pharmacist before getting behind the wheel.
For the winter driving you do sober, our winter driving checklist covers the car itself: tyres, battery, screenwash and visibility.