Industry clarifies drink-driving rules

New guidelines about how much a person can drink before they breach the legal limit are clearing up current confusion around the issue.

New guidelines on how much people could drink before driving were being issued to counter "confusion and fear" around the reduction in the limit.

Hospitality New Zealand reckoned women could have two standard drinks over two hours, and men could have three. A standard drink being 330ml of 4 per cent beer, 100ml of 13 per cent wine or 30ml 40 per cent spirits.

But most people asked by the Advocate said they would only have one, or would refrain from drinking altogether if they knew they were going to drive.

Hospitality New Zealand spokesman John Mitchell said the Police and the New Zealand Transport Agency attempted to "scare the hell out of people" in relation to the new limit, implemented in November last year.

"Their view is that people 'in any doubt' shouldn't drink and drive at all. That's dumb - and not in keeping with the law, which says it's perfectly okay to have a drink as long as you're under the new limit."

From November 2014, the breath-alcohol limit dropped from 400mcg to 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath for drivers over 20 and the blood alcohol limit from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml.

Drivers caught between 251mcg and 400mcg receive an instant $200 fine, 50 demerit points and a ban from driving for 12 hours, but no criminal conviction. Driving with more than 400 mcg breath alcohol remains a criminal offence, while the limit for drivers under 20 is zero.

Mr Mitchell said the industry group's guidelines were being issued before the holiday season. Bars were routinely asked about the new limits by punters who were unsure, plus bars had experienced significant commercial impacts.

The guidelines were based on the fact the average person can process the 10g of alcohol in a standard drink in approximately an hour. Many factors - particularly whether the drinker had eaten - influenced how quickly alcohol was metabolised.