Drink driver warns about getting behind the wheel after night out
ARE you planning on having a drink tonight?
If you need to get behind the wheel in the morning, maybe you should think again.
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Over the limit: Claire Blades-Evans claimed she 'felt absolutely fine'.
Doing just that after having a few drinks during a rare mid-week night out at her friend's house cost 39-year-old Claire Blades-Evans the job she loved and her driving licence after she was stopped by police on the way to work.
Grimsby magistrates heard the mum-of-two had only been pulled over by police in Great Coates Road, Healing, at about 8.30am, after they received a tip-off she might be over the limit – and that her driving had been "immaculate".
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However, although she also "felt absolutely fine", a breath-test revealed to a horrified Claire, who worked as a Child Support Assistant at Tollbar Academy, had 78mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
She was fined £100, banned from driving for 20 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and a Government-imposed £20 victims' surcharge.
Today, Claire, of Sanctuary Way, Wybers Wood, is hoping by sharing her story, she may prevent others from making the same mistake.
She said: "I just want to warn people how easy it is – I hadn't realised I had had enough to drink to put me over the limit.
"You get up and you feel fine in the morning, so you just don't think about it – but I will certainly think twice about having a drink in the future.
"I have never been in trouble before, but I made a stupid mistake and I am paying for it.
"I loved my job. I wouldn't have done anything to jeopardise it. I resigned on the day I was pulled over. I didn't want to cause them any embarrassment. They have been so good to me.
"If one person thinks twice about it after reading this, at least something good will have come of this."
She added the information she had learned on a compulsory course for all those convicted of drink-driving had been "a real eye-opener".
She said: "I hadn't realised how the number of units in drinks can vary so much and how long it takes to leave your system."
Of course, there is no way of knowing if you will definitely be under the limit the morning after the night before – unless you don't drink alcohol.
Many factors can affect how quickly your body processes alcohol, from whether you're male or female, to the rate of your metabolism, your weight, height, how much sleep you have had and even your state of mind.
Barry Gardner, Humberside Police's casualty reduction officer, said: "The danger of making any generic guide to what is a safe amount to drink and be legal is everyone is different."
Guide to alcohol units
THERE is no such thing as a definitive guide to what constitutes a measure of alcohol, as it varies from drink to drink, depending on its strength.
However, keep our handy download-and-keep guide in your home, to remind you to keep tabs on what you have had to drink.
According to medical experts from www.patient.co.uk, one unit of alcohol is about equal to:
Half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager, or cider (3-4 per cent alcohol by volume)
A small pub measure (25 ml) of spirits (40 per cent alcohol by volume)
A standard pub measure (50 ml) of fortified wine such as sherry or port (20 per cent alcohol by volume)
There are one and a half units of alcohol in:
A small glass (125 ml) of ordinary strength wine (12 per cent alcohol by volume)
A standard pub measure (35 ml) of spirits (40 per cent alcohol by volume).
But remember, many wines and beers are stronger than the more traditional ordinary strengths.
A more accurate way of calculating units is as follows. The percentage alcohol by volume (% abv) of a drink equals the number of units in one litre of that drink.
For example: Strong beer at 6 per cent abv has six units in one litre. If you drink half a litre (500 ml) – just under a pint – then you have had three units.
Wine at 14 per cent abv has 14 units in one litre. If you drink a quarter of a litre (250 ml) – two small glasses – then you have had three and a half units.
31 Comments
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by grimsbycakes
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 8:30PM
“As a member of staff at Tollbar Academy i am upset that our school has been put in this situation. The sad truth is that the lady in question is an alcoholic and we feel fo her but senior management at the school were well aware of this yet never acted, could have ended in tragedy so shame on these so called managers.”
by Liveforever92
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 1:10AM
“As a student at Tollbar academy I know Mrs Blades-Evans and I am greatful for all the help she has given me help with numeracy and its made a brilliant effect on my GCSE's . She will be missed by all her students including me and my class mates. Its sad to see her goes because she is lovely and one of my favourite teachers along with everyone else in class 10/11.”
by mrs_tee
Sunday, March 03 2013, 3:33PM
“Mrs Blades-Evans has admitted she was in the wrong. She has accepted her punishment (whether you agree with it or not, it is not Mrs Blades-Evans' fault what the courts decide).
The person who "tipped off" the police was not being an upstanding member of the community, they are a "squealer", had a hidden agenda or a personal vendetta against Mrs Blades-Evans, otherwise they would have spoken to her.”
by Corrina1971
Sunday, March 03 2013, 2:04PM
“I'm not saying that she doesn't deserve/shouldn't expect all the negative comments against her-of course she does. She messed up in a way that anyone of us who isn't teetotal could have done, and consequently has to take all the flack, like anyone of us might have to. But try to look at the positives-everyone is condemning her, maybe that would make them think twice about doing the same thing? She was caught before she did any harm, thank god.
I can only sympathise with the experience 'Noodles' has endured. The sentences when people have actually been harmed or killed by some idiot behind the wheel are nowhere near strong enough, and in my opinion just mock their victim's pain/loss. But thankfully this silly lady didn't kill anyone, so maybe we should listen and learn.
It just highlights that normal, everyday people do really stupid things.”
by fedupofscum
Sunday, March 03 2013, 1:20PM
“scottish1 (uncle) perhaps if you had had a member of your family that had been hurt by a DD you wouldnt come on here tying to let the world know what a pillar of the community she has been, as a member of her family you dont like people critisising her but what did you expect? really? and it is obvious that the only people who could have grassed her up where the people who knew she would be over the limit, it dosnt take a magician to work out that the only people who could have known where at the friends house as that is where she had been according to the report.”
by artie
Sunday, March 03 2013, 1:03PM
“dont drink in the first place”
by scottish1
Sunday, March 03 2013, 12:46PM
“We have known Claire all of her life, she has worked since the age of sixteen. After training and qualifying as a hairstylist she then worked at Alcrest Academy where she helped dozens of girls achieve their dream of becoming hairstylists. Then as a teaching assistant she was still helping the community. Yes she has made a mistake and has been dealt with in the appropriate manner. It is Claire's mistake and yes she will regret it for a long long time but does her mistake warrant some of the negative and derogatory remarks that have been posted, I don't think so. As said "Her Mistake" End of Story. Lets leave it at that.”
by noodles
Sunday, March 03 2013, 11:28AM
“Stupid Women !!!
She wants to be in my shoes, my daughter was run over by a drink driver 3 years ago, she suffered from serious fractures and a head injury and now still having health and mental problems. The man who ran her over was 3 times over the limit and left her for dead, he got sentenced 3 years and only did 3 months.
How dare she do a story on here telling us about drink driving!”
by onetwothree
Sunday, March 03 2013, 10:12AM
“So now she has quit her job and because of her foolish actions we (the tax payer) are now paying for her to live. Brilliant.”
by Aecutiepie
Sunday, March 03 2013, 1:14AM
“Sorry but has she said she didn't deserve it? No...has she said that she didn't do anything wrong? No...what she's saying is be aware! No one is innocent of this! Everyone has done it at least once and if you say you haven't you're full of poop. You don't even think about it most of the time. And who are you all to judge anyway! Let ye that hath no sin cast the first stone! Everyone makes mistakes! But everyone is very quick to judge arnt they! But if the shoe was on the other foot It would be a different story! Get off your soap boxes the lot of you, seriously...do you all really not have anything better to do? And do you honestly believe she would have but her kids in danger knowingly, because If you do, you clearly no nothing about being a mother. All of you need to find a new hobby.”