Drink driving, or DUI, is illegal in the UK but how long has that been the case? (Picture: Getty)

The news that Ant McPartlin has been arrested under suspicion of drink driving may lead you to wonder just what exactly he did wrong.

Drink driving laws, and legal alcohol limits, have been in place for a number of years – longer than you might think.

But what is the amount of alcohol a police officer needs to detect in your system to arrest you for DUI?

And what is the punishment? Could you go to prison? Let’s find out…

If the police can prove you have a certain level of booze in your blood you will be arrested (Picture: Getty)

Since 1983, a police officer has been able to stop your car and use a breathalyser test to measure how much alcohol is in your system.

The official name of the device is the Lion Intoximeter 3000 and the readings these machines produced can be used as a basis for prosecution and hard evidence in a court of law.


So what is the law on drink driving?

The 2014 law on drink driving states that if you have more than 35 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath (the equivalent of 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood) and are caught driving a car, you are breaking the law.

The limit for alcohol in urine is 107 mg of alcohol for every 100ml.

However, in Scotland the legal limit is 22 mg of alcohol for every 100ml of breath (the equivalent of 50 mg of alcohol for every 100 ml of blood in your body), and 67 mg of alcohol for every 100ml of urine.

A number of celebs have been convicted of DUI (Picture: Getty)

If you are found to have been in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, you may get three months in prison, a fine of up to £2,500 and possibly a driving ban.

If you are actually driving or attempting to drive while under the influence of alcohol, you may get six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine or a driving ban for at least a year (three years if convicted twice in 10 years).

If you refuse to provide a breath test you can get six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine or a ban from driving for at least a year.

And if you cause a death by drink driving you could get up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine, a ban from driving for at least two years and an extended driving test before your licence is returned.

Always make sure you do not get in front of the wheel if you’ve had a drink (Picture: Getty)

If you’re also a high risk offender, you won’t automatically get your licence back either.


Meanwhile there are other repercussions of being charged of drink driving, in that your car insurance costs will increase significantly; if you drive for work, your employer will see your conviction on your licence; you will have points on your licence; you may also have trouble travelling to countries like the USA.

The first ever drink driving law was implemented in 1925, but no legal limit on the amount of alcohol you could have in your body was brought in until 1967.

MORE: Ant McPartlin ‘arrested on suspicion of drink driving’ as he’s involved in three-car smash

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