A "near fatal" blood-alcohol level didn't stop this man driving

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?