Kev, from Churchdown, had no idea he was over the limit when he was stopped by police for speeding in Cheltenham as he drove to work in 2002. But when the 23-year-old IT worker was sent on a driver rehabilitation course as part of his punishment for drink-driving it inspired a brainwave to stop other drivers losing their licences the same way he did. So Kev created a website showing just how long it takes for alcohol to clear the body. 
People don't realise they are still over the limit the morning after. Nor did I, till I got caught. | | Kev Smith |
People who log on to Am I Over the Limit.Comcan key how much they had to drink the night before and get a rough calculation of when it will be safe to drive again. The night before he was stopped by police, Kev had sunk seven or eight pints of lager to celebrate with his footballing pals after they won a game. He had no idea the drink would stay in his body for almost 19 hours. "I woke up late and was in panic about getting to work on time," he said. "I felt rough from drinking the night before but certainly didn't feel drunk. "People don't realise they are still over the limit the morning after. Nor did I, till I got caught!"  | | Kev Smith's website warns of the dangers of 'morning after' drinking |
But a breath-test revealed he had 45 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of his breath. The legal limit is 35. Kev was banned from driving for 12 months which was reduced to nine months when he completed a driver rehabilitation course. It was the first time he had ever been in trouble with the law and opened his eyes to the lethal effects of drink driving "They showed us lots of gruesome images of people killed by drink drivers. "We met a mother of a girl who was killed in a road accident. That was daunting. "It made me feel lucky to be caught because I could have killed someone and gone to prison. "The course should become part of the driving test. It would make a lot of these 17-year-olds think about their driving."
We met a mother of a girl who was killed in a road accident. It made me feel lucky to be caught because I could have killed someone and gone to prison. | | Kev Smith |
His mates were shocked at Kev's conviction and didn't realise they could be over the limit after a night out. "They said they could have been caught any number of times over the years," he said. So Kev used the skills he developed on his University of Gloucestershire computer science degree to set up the website, which has won praise from police and road safety campaigners. Dave Radford, road safety manager at Gloucestershire County Council, warned: "There's a danger with using the calculator as it isn't an exact science." But he added: "The important thing is that drinking and driving has caused him to change his life and that can only be a good thing." » Are you sure you're under the limit? » Calculate the alcohol units in your drink 
What are your views on drink driving? Have you ever done it? Is Kev's website a good idea? Have your say by filling in the form below.
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It's not just going home from a Christmas bash that you could be over the limit - if you've drunk a lot you could still be driving illegally next day. 
