A 36-year old Canberra man is lucky to be alive after allegedly driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) more than eight times the legal limit.

    News.com.au reports the Belconnen man was pulled over in the early hours of June 1 after ACT Policing officers noticed his Toyota Corolla was being driven erratically.

    Upon undertaking a roadside breath test, the man returned a BAC of 0.443 – more than eight times higher than the legal limit of 0.05 for fully licensed drivers.

    ACT Policing said the man’s blood-alcohol level was “near fatal”. This is backed up by the Drug and Alcohol Clinical Advisory Service (DACAS), which says a BAC of 0.4 or above can be lethal.

    The man was issued with a 90-day suspension notice and will face court at a date to be determined.

    Shockingly, it’s not the highest BAC recorded in Australia.

    In 2016, a 52-year old woman from Coffs Harbour returned a roadside breath test result of 0.486 – believed to be the unofficial Australian record.

    MORE: What is the legal limit for drink driving?

    Jordan Mulach

    Born and raised in Canberra, Jordan has worked as a full-time automotive journalist since 2021, being one of the most-published automotive news writers in Australia before joining CarExpert in 2024.

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