Police from the Sunshine Coast Road Policing Unit have charged a 50-year-old woman after she allegedly returned a 0.419% blood alcohol reading, a potentially lethal dose, following a two vehicle crash in Nambour in December.
At approximately 4.20pm on Friday, December 30, police attended a two vehicle traffic crash at the intersection of Lamington Terrace and Magnolia Street in Nambour.
The driver and sole occupant of one of the vehicles, a 50-year-old Sunshine Coast woman, was transported to hospital for treatment to minor injuries.
A blood specimen was taken, with subsequent analysis detecting a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.419%.
The woman's licence was immediately suspended and she has been charged with driving under the influence of liquor (UIL).
She is expected to appear before Nambour Magistrates Court on February 6.
The Officer in Charge of Highway Patrol Sunshine Coast, Senior Sergeant Shane Panoho, said the woman's BAC was over the lethal dose.
"Drinking alcohol reduces your ability to drive safely. Alcohol affects your judgement, vision, coordination and reflexes-increasing your risk of having a crash," Senior Sergeant Panoho said.
"Blood alcohol concentration is a good indicator of intoxication. BAC is measured in grams of alcohol per 100 ml blood. Therefore, a BAC of 0.05 (Australia's upper legal limit for driving) indicates 0.05 g of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.
"Once alcohol is in your system, even at around 0.05% BAC, it affects the brain's ability to make rational decisions and you are more likely to take risks.
"A lethal dose of alcohol is around 4 grams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood (i.e. BAC ≥ 0.4)," Senior Sergeant Panoho said.
"The alleged actions of this driver endangered not only her own life but the lives of every other person on the road that day. Don't Drink and Drive."
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
