THIS is the shocking moment cops tackled a driver who blew through five red lights before crashing into parked cars.
Declan Muers narrowly missed pedestrians as he raced through Nottingham city centre in his blue Volkswagen Scirocco.
The 27-year-old drunkenly sped along one of the busiest roads – Maid Marian Way – at 4am on February 18 this year.
He had left a nearby nightclub shortly after becoming “angry” about something that had happened, say cops.
Muers then got behind the wheel and ploughed through five red lights.
Catching the attention of patrol officers, who say the streets were lined with club-goers, they began their pursuit.
It was only when the Scirocco crashed into two parked cars in the St Ann’s area that Muers was forced to come to a stop.
Cops then tackled Muers to the ground – cuffing him and taking him into custody.
No one was struck by Muers however, he sustained a minor head injury when he lost control of his car.
Officers took him to hospital for treatment on a head cut.
He was then charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop when required by police and drink-driving.
Muers blew a reading of 49 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
The legal limit is 35mcg.
He pleaded guilty to all three offences and was jailed for 16 months, suspended for two years.
He has also been banned from driving for two years.
PC Fraser Heaton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Muers showed a clear disregard for the safety of others by driving dangerously through a city centre in poor weather conditions.
“He was in no fit state to be behind the wheel of a car and it is fortunate he didn’t cause harm to another road user or pedestrian.
“He was also extremely lucky not to have sustained a more serious injury himself after losing control and crashing into two parked vehicles.
“During his police interview, he told us he’d been drinking in a nightclub and left after becoming angry about something that had happened.
“He should have got a taxi home but seemingly didn’t want to pay a fare.
“Now he’s paid a heftier price in court with the loss of his driver’s licence.”
DRIVING under the influence of alcohol is illegal in the UK, and anyone found guilty could be handed a serious penalty.
Because of the ways in which alcohol can affect a person’s driving, there are strict rules on how many drinks you can have and still legally be able to drive.
The drink driving limit in the UK is measured in milligrams rather than units.
The limit is 80 milligrams in every 100 millilitres of blood.
This roughly translates to four units of alcohol for men and three units for women, but this is not a one-size-fits-all rule.
Body mass, gender and how quickly the body absorbs alcohol are major factors on how each individual is impacted by drinking.
Generally speaking, two pints of beer or two small glasses of wine is enough to put you over the legal limit.
The stronger your drink, the longer it takes to leave your system, so a large glass of wine (250ml) could be in your blood for four hours after drinking.
While a pint might take less time to leave your system (two hours instead of four), you should still factor in an hour for it to absorb into your body.
For example, if you have four pints and stop drinking at midnight, you will not be safe to drive until 9am.
Each person has their own limit because all bodies process alcohol differently.
But if you’re planning on driving, the easiest way to make sure you’re on the right side of the law and safe behind the wheel is not to drink at all.
If you enjoy a night of drinking, you should still give yourself plenty of time the next day before hitting the road.
The drink drive limit varies in the UK depending on the country.
There are different rules for motorists in England, Wales and Northern Ireland than for drivers in Scotland.
The limits for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are:
In Scotland, the limits are:
The Scottish regulations mean that just one drink could put you over the limit.
Bear in mind that even if you are below the limit, one drink can still impair your driving skills and make getting in a car unsafe.
In fact, with just 10mg of alcohol per 100ml of your blood (one eighth of the limit in England and Wales), you are 37% more likely to be in a fatal accident than when completely sober.
For this reason it is best to avoid driving after consuming any alcohol — even if you think you can handle your drink.
