Drink driving laws around the world

Drink driving laws around the world

If you’re travelling this holiday season, get to know your destination’s drink driving rules. Some countries have a legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit of 0.02, or 0.08, and some destinations might even have a strict zero tolerance rule for all drivers.

Know the local BAC limit

Blood Alcohol Content, or BAC is a measure of the concentration of alcohol in a person’s blood. It is the metric most commonly used to determine a person’s level of intoxication, so you’ll find countries stating that the legal drink driving limit is 0.05%BAC or 0.02%BAC.

In some countries, the measure BrAC or breath alcohol concentration may be used instead and if you’re using a breathalyzer that reads in BAC, you’ll have to do some conversion.

BAC is expressed in grams of alcohol per 100ml of blood or %BAC, whereas BrAC is usually expressed as mg/l.

To convert BrAC to BAC, breathalysers use the golden ratio of 2100:1 based on the blood concentration that evaporates and is expelled in the lungs.

Or, just check out the tab below on BAC to BrAC conversions for a quick reference on what a certain BrAC level is in %BAC.

 

Travel luggage

 

“I didn’t know!” or “I’m just travelling” will not suffice as an excuse if you get caught drink driving abroad. Tourists can get fined for drink driving and even lose their licenses, so being careful about your BAC level is important if you plan to drink and rent a car while abroad.

Legal drink driving limits around the world

We’ve compiled some handy resources on the legal drink driving limits around the world that you can refer to before your next holiday. Click on the tabs below to switch between the infographic table, the full list of all the countries and their recorded drink driving limits, and the BAC to BrAC conversion chart.

Bookmark this page, share it with your travel buddies, and take note of the legal BAC limits around the world so that you don’t get caught in a police cell in a foreign country instead of being out enjoying yourself with your friends and family!

This heatmap by Holt Lloyd provides a quick snapshot of the legal drink driving limits around the world, including those with zero tolerance that you should definitely take note of.

 

Alcohol drink driving limits around the world

This comprehensive table of the legal BAC limits around the world from the World Health Organisation is an excellent guide for tourists.

Chart: Legal blood alcohol concentration (%BAC) limits around the world

Countries, territories and areas General population  Young/novice drivers  Professional/commercial drivers
Afghanistan total ban total ban total ban
Albania 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Algeria 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Andorra 0.05% 0.05% 0.02%
Angola 0.06% 0.06% 0.06%
Antigua and Barbuda none none none
Argentina 0.05% 0.05% 0.0005
Armenia 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Australia 0.05% zero tolerance 0.02%
Austria 0.05% 0.01% 0.01%
Azerbaijan zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Bahamas 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Bahrain . . .
Bangladesh zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Barbados none none none
Belarus 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Belgium 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Belize 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Benin 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Bhutan 0.08% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.03% zero tolerance 0.03%
Botswana 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Brazil zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Brunei Darussalam . . .
Bulgaria 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Burkina Faso 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Burundi none none none
Cabo Verde 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Cambodia 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Cameroon 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Canada 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Central African Republic 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Chad 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Chile 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
China 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Colombia 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Comoros none none none
Congo 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Cook Islands 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Costa Rica 0.05% 0.02% 0.02%
Côte d'Ivoire 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Croatia 0.05% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Cuba 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Cyprus 0.05% 0.02% 0.02%
Czechia zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Democratic People's Republic of Korea . . .
Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Denmark 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Djibouti zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Dominica 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Dominican Republic 0.05% 0.05% Zero tolerance
Ecuador 0.03% 0.03% 0.01%
Egypt none none none
El Salvador 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Equatorial Guinea 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Eritrea 0.05% 0.05% 0.03%
Estonia 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Eswatini 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
Ethiopia 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Fiji 0.08% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Finland 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
France 0.05% 0.02% 0.02%
Gabon 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Gambia none none none
Georgia 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Germany 0.05% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Ghana 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Greece 0.05% 0.02% 0.02%
Grenada none none none
Guatemala none none none
Guinea 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Guinea-Bissau none none none
Guyana 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Haiti . . .
Honduras 0.07% 0.07% 0.07%
Hungary zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Iceland 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
India 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Indonesia none none none
Iran (Islamic Republic of) zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Iraq 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
Ireland 0.05% 0.02% 0.02%
Israel 0.05% 0.01% 0.01%
Italy 0.05% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Jamaica 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Japan 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Jordan 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Kazakhstan zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Kenya 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Kiribati 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Kuwait . . .
Kyrgyzstan . . .
Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Latvia 0.05% 0.02% 0.05%
Lebanon 0.05% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Lesotho 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Liberia none none none
Libya . . .
Lithuania 0.04% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Luxembourg 0.05% 0.02% 0.02%
Madagascar 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
Malawi 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Malaysia 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Maldives total ban total ban total ban
Mali 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Malta 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Marshall Islands none none none
Mauritania total ban total ban total ban
Mauritius 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Mexico sub-national sub-national sub-national
Micronesia (Federated States of) . . .
Monaco 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Mongolia 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Montenegro 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Morocco 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Mozambique 0.06% 0.06% zero tolerance
Myanmar 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Namibia 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Nauru . . .
Nepal . . .
Netherlands 0.05% 0.02% 0.05%
New Zealand 0.05% zero tolerance 0.05%
Nicaragua 0.05% 0.05% 0.02%
Niger none none none
Nigeria 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Niue . . .
Norway 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Oman 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Pakistan zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Palau 0.10% 0.10% 0.10%
Panama 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Papua New Guinea . . .
Paraguay Zero tolerance Zero tolerance Zero tolerance
Peru 0.05% 0.05% 0.03%
Philippines 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Poland 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Portugal 0.05% 0.02% 0.02%
Qatar . . .
Republic of Korea 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Republic of Moldova 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
North Macedonia 0.05% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Romania zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Russian Federation 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
Rwanda 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Saint Lucia 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines none none none
Samoa 0.04% 0.04% 0.04%
San Marino 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Sao Tome and Principe none none none
Saudi Arabia total ban total ban total ban
Senegal none none none
Serbia 0.03% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Seychelles 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Sierra Leone none none none
Singapore 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Slovakia zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Slovenia 0.05% zero tolerance zero tolerance
Solomon Islands . . .
Somalia total ban total ban total ban
South Africa 0.05% 0.05% 0.02%
South Sudan none none none
Spain 0.05% 0.03% 0.03%
Sri Lanka 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Sudan total ban total ban total ban
Suriname 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Sweden 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
Switzerland 0.05% 0.01% 0.01%
Syrian Arab Republic none none none
Tajikistan 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Thailand 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Timor-Leste 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Togo none none none
Tonga 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Trinidad and Tobago 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Tunisia 0.05% 0.05% 0.05%
Türkiye 0.05% 0.02% 0.02%
Turkmenistan 0.03% 0.03% 0.03%
Tuvalu . . .
Uganda 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Ukraine 0.02% 0.02% 0.02%
United Arab Emirates zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland subnational subnational subnational
United Republic of Tanzania 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
United States of America 0.08% sub-national 0.04%
Uruguay zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Uzbekistan zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Vanuatu . . .
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Viet Nam zero tolerance zero tolerance zero tolerance
Yemen total ban total ban total ban
Zambia 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%
Zimbabwe 0.08% 0.08% 0.08%

Source: World Health Organisation (WHO). Last updated 26/10/2018

Convert BAC to BrAC correctly

Depending on the breathalyser that you use and the country you're in, you might need to refer to BAC or BrAC units when ensuring you're not breaking the local drink driving laws. Refer to the chart below to make sure you're reading alcohol test results correctly:

%BAC mg/l (BRAC) µg/l mg/100ml ‰(mg/ml)/permille
0.01 0.05 50 10 0.10
0.02 0.10 100 20 0.20
0.04 0.20 200 40 0.40
0.05 0.25 250 50 0.50
0.06 0.30 300 60 0.60
0.08 0.40 400 80 0.80
0.10 0.50 500 100 1.00
0.12 0.60 600 120 1.20
0.14 0.70 700 140 1.40
0.16 0.80 800 160 1.60
0.18 0.90 900 180 1.80
0.20 1.00 1000 200 2.00

    Before you travel, remember that laws are always changing, and these legal BAC limits might have been updated since this post.

    Legal limits can also vary depending on age, state, province, etc. and different metrics are used to determine BAC, such as breathalyzer, blood test or urinalysis.

    Therefore these legal limits for operation of a vehicle are not exhaustive, and potentially incorrect.

    Be aware of other driving laws

    Always check the rules in your country of travel if you plan to drive a vehicle.

    Travel map  

    In France, for example, it was enforced in 2012 that drivers of all motor vehicles and motorcycles must carry a breathalyser.

    Even if you don’t plan to drink while you’re travelling, checking other rules such as prohibitions on using mobile or GPS devices while driving, seatbelt regulations, seat requirements for children in the car, and even eating or drinking in the car, is important so that you don’t cop a heavy fine while travelling.

    For example, Barrington Freight highlighted some peculiar road rules you might find on one of your travels:

    • In Cyprus, eating or drinking anything (even water!) while driving is illegal

    • On the other hand, in Costa Rica, it is legal to drink and drive, but not to drive drunk

    • In Russia, you’ll be fined for driving a dirty car

    • In Sweden, it is illegal to drive without headlights, even in daylight

    • In Japan, you’ll be fined if you splash a pedestrian with rainwater while passing by

    • In Singapore, it’s against the law for a driver to come within 50 metres of a pedestrian

    • In Spain, you have to carry an extra set of glasses in your car at all times, even if you’re already wearing a pair!

    • In Japan as well, sober passengers in the car with a drunk driver can be punished under the law

    If you do plan to drink while abroad, it’s a good idea to bring along your breathalyser so you can check your BAC, and also ensure that it is calibrated before you go.

    Browse our range of personal breathalysers that would be perfect for travelling thanks to their lightweight and compact size!

    No matter where you’re going, remember to be safe and if you plan to drive, don’t drink.


    Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general reference only. Please seek advice from professionals according to your business’s needs.

    Written by Vivien Mah

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