Ordering “just a shandy” before driving to an MOT test feels harmless, especially when the glass says 0.9% or 1% ABV. Yet UK drink‑driving law, blood alcohol concentration and MOT rules do not always line up with how light that drink tastes. A shandy can still tip you over the drink‑drive limit, void insurance and lead to a failed roadside test on the way to the garage. It will not directly change the result of the MOT inspection, but it can certainly affect your ability to get there legally, keep your licence, and keep your car insured. Understanding where low‑ABV drinks sit in relation to legal limits, cognitive performance and MOT rules helps you decide whether “one or two shandys” is ever worth the risk.
UK drink‑driving law vs MOT testing: clarifying how alcohol consumption and roadworthiness assessments intersect
The first thing to clear up is a common misconception: your MOT and your alcohol level are regulated by completely different systems. MOT testing is run under DVSA rules and looks at mechanical and environmental roadworthiness — brakes, tyres, lights, suspension, emissions and structural integrity. Drink‑driving law, on the other hand, sits in the Road Traffic Act and is enforced by the police, DVLA and the courts. A shandy in your hand never changes the emissions on the tester, but it can very quickly change whether you are even legally allowed to drive to that test centre.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the drink‑drive limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood or 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath. In Scotland the limit is stricter at 50mg blood and 22 micrograms breath. Numerous studies and recent Department for Transport data show that thousands of people are still killed or seriously injured each year where at least one driver is over the limit. If you are stopped on the way to an MOT, a breath reading over the limit will lead to arrest, regardless of how essential that test appointment feels.
A helpful way to think about it is this: the MOT deals with the health of the vehicle, while drink‑drive law deals with the fitness of the driver. One does not excuse failings in the other. You can have a perfect MOT and still be banned for drink‑driving; equally, you can be stone‑cold sober and still be illegal because your car has dangerous defects.
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from shandys: units, dilution ratios and legal driving limits in england, scotland and wales
Shandy is often seen as a “safe” drink because it is diluted beer or lager, usually mixed roughly half‑and‑half with lemonade or another soft drink. However, the key issue for driving is not what the drink is called, but how many alcohol units it contains and what that does to your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Even very weak drinks count towards the same legal threshold as spirits, wine or strong cider.
One UK unit equals 10ml (8g) of pure alcohol. A standard pint of 4% lager contains about 2.3 units. If that pint is mixed 50:50 with lemonade, the resulting shandy is roughly 2% ABV and therefore around 1.15 units per pint, although commercial bottled shandys are often even weaker (around 0.9–1.2% ABV). The legal limits in mg/100ml blood or micrograms/100ml breath apply regardless of how those units are packaged — as neat spirits, wine, beer or shandy.
| Region | Blood limit (mg/100ml) | Breath limit (mcg/100ml) | Typical risk point with shandys* |
|---|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | 80 | 35 | 2–4 weak shandys may be enough for some drivers |
| Scotland | 50 | 22 | 1–3 weak shandys may be enough for lighter drivers |
*These are illustrative and vary massively by body weight, sex, metabolism, food intake and timing.
Calculating alcohol units in common shandy serves: 330ml bottled lager shandy, 440ml canned shandy and draught pub shandys
To work out how many units you get from a shandy before driving to an MOT, the same formula used for any alcoholic drink applies: units = (volume in ml × ABV) ÷ 1000. For a 330ml bottled shandy at 0.9% ABV, that is roughly 0.3 units. For a 440ml canned shandy at 2% ABV, you are looking at about 0.9 units. A draught pub shandy made from a 4% lager mixed 50:50 with lemonade would sit at about 2% ABV, so a full pint (568ml) would be around 1.1–1.2 units.
Three canned shandys at 2% ABV amount to close to 3 units. For a smaller, lighter driver — especially in Scotland, with the lower limit — that can be enough to produce a BAC high enough to fail a roadside test, particularly if the drinks are taken quickly on an empty stomach. The label “shandy” does not grant immunity; the calculation is always about total alcohol in grams and how fast your body can process it.
Body‑weight, metabolism and elimination rates: widmark formula application to low‑ABV shandy consumption
Professionals often use the Widmark formula as a model to estimate BAC from alcohol consumption. In simplified terms, it divides the total grams of alcohol consumed by body water (which is linked to body weight and sex), then subtracts an elimination rate over time. For shandy, the input is smaller than for stronger drinks, but the same logic applies: smaller body, less body water, higher resulting BAC for the same number of units.
Average elimination rates are about 0.015% BAC per hour, often expressed as roughly one unit per hour, yet this is only a rough guide. Two drivers could drink the same three shandys and show very different breathalyser readings depending on sex, liver function, medications and even stress levels. A cautious driver planning to head to a test centre after a lunch‑time pub session should assume alcohol may linger significantly longer than the “one hour per unit” myth suggests.
Comparing ‘one shandy’ at 0.9% ABV vs 2.8% session lager shandy and their impact on BAC readings at the roadside
It is easy to say “I’ve only had a shandy” without realising that the term now covers a range from almost alcohol‑free to something closer to a light beer. A 330ml bottle at 0.9% ABV might contribute around 0.3 units; several of these over an afternoon are unlikely to push a typical adult over the legal limit, though they are not completely negligible. Swap that for a “session” shandy built from a 2.8% lager topped with just a splash of lemonade, and the ABV can be 2–2.4%, taking a pint close to 1.3–1.4 units.
A police roadside breathalyser that reads just above 35 micrograms per 100ml in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — or above 22 micrograms in Scotland — triggers arrest regardless of whether that came from strong spirits or “just shandys”. From a legal perspective there is no partial credit for choosing a weaker drink if the BAC is over the prescribed limit.
Time‑to‑sober scenarios: driving after 2–4 shandys over an evening vs next‑morning residual alcohol risk
Consider a typical MOT scenario: a driver has two canned shandys (2% ABV, 0.9 units each) with lunch at 12:30, then drives to a 3pm MOT appointment. That is 1.8 units total, spread over more than two hours with food. Many drivers would be under the legal limit by the time they get behind the wheel, though there is no guarantee. Now imagine four similar shandys over an evening finishing at 11pm — that is around 3.6 units. Some of that alcohol may still be in the system at 8am the next morning when driving to work or a re‑test.
NHS guidance suggests the liver processes around one unit per hour on average, but alcohol can remain on the breath for up to 24 hours after heavy drinking. Real‑world research on “morning after” drink‑driving shows that millions of UK motorists underestimate how long alcohol stays in the body, leading to failed roadside tests the day after Christmas parties or weekend sessions. Shandy does not remove this risk; it simply reduces the dose.
Using personal breathalysers (e.g. AlcoSense lite 2, AlcoDigital) to validate BAC after drinking shandys
For drivers who frequently consume low‑ABV drinks like shandy before driving, a personal breathalyser can be a useful, if imperfect, safety net. Devices such as consumer models from AlcoSense or AlcoDigital approximate police‑style breath tests and give a reading in micrograms per 100ml of breath or as a percentage BAC. Used correctly — following warm‑up times and instructions — they can highlight when alcohol remains in the system, even if the driver feels fine.
However, no handheld device carries the legal authority of an evidential police machine at the station. Manufacturing tolerances, poor calibration and user error can all cause false reassurance. A prudent approach is to treat personal breathalysers as an extra warning tool rather than a licence to drink up to the limit. If a reading is close to the legal threshold after drinking shandys, the safest choice is not to drive to the MOT at all.
How drink‑driving offences affect your MOT, vehicle tax and legal right to drive in the UK
A drink‑driving offence does not cause an MOT failure in itself, but it can quickly undermine a driver’s ability to keep a car road‑legal in a broader sense. Convictions for driving or attempting to drive over the prescribed alcohol limit typically carry a ban of at least 12 months for a first offence, rising to at least three years for a second conviction within 10 years. That disqualification means no lawful driving to test stations, no commuting and no personal use — even if the car has a valid MOT and tax.
In parallel, courts can impose fines, community orders or imprisonment. The conviction is endorsed on the driving record with a code beginning with DR, signalling drink‑related offences to insurers, employers and sometimes travel authorities in other countries. For most drivers, the knock‑on effect on car insurance and the practicality of running a vehicle is as painful as the ban itself.
Difference between an MOT test (DVSA) and driving licence penalties (DVLA and magistrates’ courts)
The MOT test is overseen by DVSA and carried out at authorised garages. The examiner checks the vehicle against a set of technical standards and issues a pass, fail or pass with defects noted. There is no assessment of the driver’s sobriety, licence status or insurance during the test itself. Penalties for drink‑driving — including disqualification, fines and imprisonment — are imposed by magistrates’ courts and recorded by DVLA.
This separation matters when planning any journey after having shandys. Being “only just over the limit” is a criminal matter unrelated to whether the car could sail through its MOT on the ramp. A driver banned for alcohol offences remains disqualified even if the car has a fresh MOT certificate and full service history.
Drink‑driving convictions, endorsements (DR10, DR20, DR30) and their knock‑on effects on MOT renewals
Common drink‑driving endorsement codes include DR10 (driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above the limit), DR20 (driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink) and DR30 (driving or attempting to drive then failing to provide a specimen). These codes usually stay on the licence for 11 years. Although they do not prevent a car from being MOT tested, they can make the whole ownership experience more expensive and complicated.
Insurers routinely treat drink‑driving endorsements as high‑risk indicators. Average premiums for drivers with DR40‑type offences can exceed £1,800 per year, and some providers refuse cover altogether. Without valid insurance, taking a car to an MOT test — even if perfectly roadworthy — is illegal. A single afternoon of “just shandys” producing a DR endorsement can therefore influence every future MOT journey for a decade.
Vehicle condition vs driver condition: why faulty brakes, tyres and emissions fail an MOT but alcohol does not
During a standard MOT, the tester inspects brakes, tyres, steering, suspension, lights, seatbelts and body structure, along with emissions and safety‑critical electronics. No part of the DVSA test routine involves asking how many shandys you had or checking whether any alcohol is present. From the MOT’s perspective, a car with bald tyres or leaking brake pipes is more dangerous than a perfectly maintained car whose driver is over the limit — yet in reality both situations present serious risks.
This difference underscores an important point: MOT failure items like tyres, brakes and emissions are objective mechanical defects. Alcohol impairment is subjective to the driver and policed separately. Skipping a pint of shandy before the test does not fix a defective airbag light, and fresh tyres do not rescue a driver who is above the limit on the way home from the MOT centre.
ANPR cameras, police roadside checks and how a failed roadside breath test can invalidate your trip to the MOT station
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and targeted drink‑drive campaigns mean it is increasingly common to encounter a roadside stop on routes to and from garages, particularly around peak enforcement periods like Christmas. If ANPR flags an expired MOT or there is visible evidence of a defect, officers may pull a driver over and then notice alcohol on the breath. Reasonable suspicion is all that is needed to require a roadside breath test.
Failing that roadside test immediately changes the legal picture. The driver is arrested, the car may be left at the roadside or removed, and the polite explanation about “just heading to an MOT” offers no defence. A pre‑booked MOT appointment does not exempt anyone from drink‑drive law. The trip is effectively invalidated the moment the reading comes back over the limit.
Impact of drink‑driving bans on insurance, VED (road tax) and ability to present your car for MOT testing
Once a ban is imposed, a driver cannot lawfully drive any vehicle on public roads. Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, often called road tax) and MOT requirements continue unaffected — the car still needs an MOT for tax renewal, and tax for road use — but practical problems appear. Either someone else legal to drive must take the car to the MOT, or it must be transported on a recovery truck.
Insurance after a drink‑drive conviction is more expensive and often tightly restricted. Some policies explicitly exclude cover while the driver is over the limit or unfit to drive, and many specify that cover is void if a driver is banned. For a motorist used to driving themselves to a test centre after “one or two shandys”, losing that option can be a harsh but lasting wake‑up call.
Driving to and from an MOT test after drinking shandys: real‑world UK legal scenarios
Motoring law allows a specific, limited exemption for driving an un‑MOT’d car to and from a pre‑booked test. That exemption has clear boundaries and does not interact in any way with alcohol limits. Shandys consumed beforehand sit in a different legal box entirely. Understanding these overlapping rules helps avoid a situation where a driver is technically allowed to be on the road because of an MOT appointment but simultaneously commits a serious drink‑driving offence.
Driving an un‑MOT’d car legally to a pre‑booked test vs illegally driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit
A car without a current MOT can be driven on public roads if it is heading to or from a pre‑booked test, or to a place of repair following a failed test, as long as the vehicle is otherwise roadworthy and insured. This is why many drivers plan a direct route from home or work to a nearby test centre when the certificate is about to expire. Alcohol introduces a completely separate layer of risk: the drink‑drive limit still applies, whether the MOT is valid, expired, or hours away.
Imagine a scenario where you are stopped driving an un‑MOT’d car to a pre‑booked test after two draught shandys. If the car is in acceptable mechanical condition, there might be no problem on the MOT front. Yet if a breath test shows a reading above 35 micrograms per 100ml in England or 22 micrograms in Scotland, the journey immediately turns into a drink‑driving case. The MOT exemption never overrides criminal liability for alcohol.
Case‑study style scenarios: two shandys at wetherspoons before a 3pm MOT at kwik fit, halfords autocentre or ATS euromaster
Picture an early‑afternoon MOT slot at a well‑known chain garage. At midday, you meet a friend in Wetherspoons and order two 440ml canned‑style shandys at 2% ABV, spaced over an hour with a meal. By the time you pay the bill at 1:15pm, you have consumed roughly 1.8 units. For a larger adult who had breakfast and lunch, the BAC at 2:30pm might be low, but for a lighter driver or someone with slower metabolism the figure could still be significant.
If, on the way to Kwik Fit or Halfords Autocentre, traffic is heavy and you creep through a 20mph zone, a minor driving error could draw police attention. An officer smelling alcohol may decide to carry out a roadside breath test. Even a modest reading above the limit is enough to cancel the MOT trip and start formal proceedings. The story “it was only two shandys before ATS Euromaster” carries no weight in court.
Police powers near MOT centres: roadside breath tests, field impairment tests and vehicle seizure under s165a RTA
Police officers have broad powers to stop vehicles at any time, and specific authority to require a breath test if they suspect alcohol consumption, if a traffic offence is committed or after an accident. Around busy retail parks and industrial estates, where many MOT centres sit, operations targeting uninsured or defective vehicles are common. During such checks, officers may use both breathalysers and field impairment tests to assess whether a driver is fit.
Under section 165A of the Road Traffic Act, vehicles can be seized if there is reasonable belief they are being driven without insurance or without a licence. A drink‑driving investigation could therefore end with a seized vehicle if the driver is uninsured or disqualified, compounding the problems associated with missing an MOT appointment.
Drink‑driving law applies on every yard of the journey to and from an MOT centre, regardless of how important that booking feels or how weak the drinks consumed beforehand were.
Refusal to provide a specimen en route to an MOT: legal consequences, immediate arrest and licence impact
Some drivers believe that refusing a breath test is a clever way to dodge a drink‑driving charge. In reality, refusal to provide a specimen of breath, blood or urine without a reasonable excuse is itself a specific offence, carrying similar penalties to driving over the limit: up to six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine and a minimum one‑year driving ban.
If stopped while heading for a test appointment after shandys, declining to blow into the roadside device or later refusing samples at the station will not protect the MOT booking or the licence. It will simply change the charge from exceeding the prescribed limit to failing to provide a specimen. Endorsement codes for refusal still sit on the licence for 11 years, and insurers treat them in much the same way as direct drink‑driving convictions.
Alcohol, cognitive impairment and driving performance metrics, even at “low” shandy consumption levels
One of the most misleading beliefs about low‑ABV drinks is that they are “too weak to matter”. Research paints a very different picture. Cognitive impairment begins at alcohol levels well below the UK legal limit, with measurable changes in reaction time, attention, visual tracking and judgement from around 20mg/100ml BAC upwards. Shandy, especially in repeated servings, can easily produce BAC in this range.
Psychomotor function and reaction time degradation at 20–50 mg/100ml BAC levels
Laboratory tests show that even small amounts of alcohol slow psychomotor responses — the coordinated interaction of brain signals and muscle movement. At around 20–30mg/100ml BAC, which might result from a couple of shandys for some people, reaction times are already measurably longer. By 50mg/100ml, drivers are roughly three times more likely to die in a crash compared with those at zero BAC, according to World Health Organization data.
For driving to an MOT station through urban traffic or complex junctions, those extra milliseconds can make the difference between a safe stop and a minor collision. The effect is not dramatic like obvious drunkenness; it is more like turning up the delay on a video game controller, but the car still moves at full speed.
Effects on hazard perception in urban environments: junctions, pedestrian crossings and roundabouts
Hazard perception relies on constant scanning for subtle cues: a pedestrian glancing towards the kerb, a cyclist wobbling, a car edging out from a side road. Studies using driving simulators show that low‑dose alcohol reduces the number of hazards noticed and increases the time taken to respond. After one to three low‑ABV shandys, some drivers may feel relaxed and confident yet actually be missing or misjudging emerging threats.
On the way to and from an MOT, routes often include busy high streets, mini‑roundabouts and complex car park layouts. A marginally impaired driver might roll a little too far over the stop line, mis‑judge a gap at a roundabout or fail to spot a pedestrian stepping off a central refuge. Even if the BAC is below the legal limit, these small errors increase the risk of a prang that complicates both the MOT and any insurance claim.
Night‑time driving, glare sensitivity and lane‑keeping errors after 1–3 low‑ABV shandys
Alcohol and low light are a poor combination. Research indicates that alcohol increases sensitivity to glare from oncoming headlights and reduces contrast sensitivity, making it harder to distinguish road markings and obstacles at night. Even modest BAC levels create more lane‑drift events in simulator studies, with drivers weaving slightly within or across lane lines.
If you book an evening MOT slot or drive home from a late re‑test after a pub visit, those small impairments can be significant. A brief glance at a dashboard warning light or sat‑nav can be enough to trigger a lane‑keeping error when the brain is already slowed and vision compromised by shandy‑induced alcohol.
Simulator and on‑road study data: low‑dose alcohol vs placebo in controlled driving tests
Controlled trials consistently show that even under 0.05% BAC — below the Scottish limit and well below the limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — drivers make more steering corrections, brake later, and display poorer speed control than placebo groups. These effects appear even when participants subjectively rate themselves as fully capable of driving. That mismatch between confidence and performance is one of the most dangerous aspects of “a couple of shandys”.
Alcohol affects the brain long before it reaches the levels set in legal drink‑drive limits, and light shandy consumption is not exempt from this basic neurobiology.
Practical harm‑reduction strategies: how many shandys to stay comfortably below the UK drink‑drive limit
From a safety perspective, the only genuinely risk‑free strategy is to avoid alcohol completely if any driving is planned, including to or from an MOT test. However, many drivers still choose to drink low‑ABV shandys and then drive, especially at lunch times or during family meals. Harm‑reduction in this context means keeping consumption low, spacing drinks out, eating properly and allowing time for elimination — all while remembering that there is still no guaranteed “safe” number of shandys.
Conservative consumption guidelines by body mass and sex: 70kg male vs 55kg female driver examples
As an illustration, a 70kg male driver consuming one 330ml 0.9% shandy (0.3 units) with food is unlikely to reach a concerning BAC. Two such shandys may still be low risk if spaced over several hours. Swap that to two pint‑sized 2% shandys (around 2.4 units total) consumed quickly on an empty stomach, and the same driver could be edging towards BAC levels that impair performance, even if still under the legal limit.
A 55kg female driver has less body water and typically a higher peak BAC for the same intake. For that driver, two canned 2% shandys (about 1.8 units) over a short period before a drive could generate a BAC where reaction time and hazard perception are measurably degraded. For anyone wanting a rule of thumb about how many shandys you can have and still drive safely, the honest professional view is: considerably fewer than most people think.
Spacing drinks, food intake and hydration: managing absorption when drinking shandys before driving
If you do choose to drink shandy before driving, several tactics can reduce — though not remove — risk:
- Eat a proper meal before or with shandys to slow alcohol absorption.
- Space drinks at least an hour apart and alternate with water or soft drinks.
- Stop drinking completely at least a couple of hours before driving to your MOT or home.
- Be stricter if you are lighter, older, taking medication or feeling unwell.
These strategies help flatten the BAC curve, avoiding sharp peaks that cross the limit. Yet absorption and elimination remain highly individual, so even with careful spacing there is no mathematical guarantee of legality or safety.
Switching from alcoholic shandy to alcohol‑free alternatives (heineken 0.0, erdinger alkoholfrei, shandy bass)
One of the most effective harm‑reduction approaches is to change the drink, not the driving plan. Modern alcohol‑free beers and shandys offer the same flavour profile with 0.0–0.5% ABV, meaning negligible effect on BAC for most people. Popular options include 0.0 lagers, wheat beers labelled “Alkoholfrei” and traditional soft‑drink shandys based on lemonade and flavourings rather than actual beer.
From a cognitive and legal standpoint, switching from a 2% shandy to a 0.0% version is like swapping a motorbike for a push‑bike — the basic shape is similar, but the risk profile is radically different. If you enjoy the taste and social side of shandy but want to drive to and from MOT appointments without second‑guessing your BAC, alcohol‑free versions are the most robust choice.
Planning MOT appointments and transport: using public transport, taxis, courtesy cars and recovery services instead of driving after drinking
Planning around the MOT appointment can remove alcohol from the equation altogether. Options include booking an early‑morning slot before any drinking occurs, using public transport or taxis to and from the test centre, accepting a courtesy car from the garage where available, or arranging recovery services to transport a non‑drivable car. Each of these choices breaks the link between “having a drink” and “then driving to the MOT”.
This approach is particularly valuable if the MOT coincides with social events, such as pre‑Christmas lunches or weekend pub visits. Rather than trying to calculate how many shandys are safe, simply remove the need to drive. From both a legal and safety perspective, that planning is far more reliable than any back‑of‑an‑envelope unit calculation.
Insurance, liability and post‑crash investigations involving shandy consumption and MOT status
When a collision occurs, insurers and police look far beyond the question of “Did the car have an MOT?” and “Was it just a shandy?”. Both alcohol and MOT status feed into assessments of liability, negligence and policy validity. A minor bump on the way to a test after low‑ABV drinks can quickly become a serious financial and legal problem if investigators conclude that drink‑driving, lack of roadworthiness or both contributed.
How insurers assess contributory negligence when alcohol and expired or failed MOTs are involved
If an accident occurs and it emerges that you had been drinking shandys, insurers may consider alcohol a factor, even if you were under the legal limit. Some policies explicitly state that cover may be limited or excluded if the driver is impaired by alcohol. At the same time, an expired or failed MOT can be used to argue that the vehicle was not in a roadworthy condition, contributing to the crash or its severity.
Courts and claims handlers sometimes apportion contributory negligence in such cases. For example, if you knowingly got into a car with a driver who had been drinking, any injury compensation might be reduced. Similarly, if your own drinking or neglected MOT‑related defects are judged to have played a part, compensation or payouts can be cut substantially.
Telematics (“black box”) data, dashcam footage and police accident reports in drink‑related collision claims
Modern telematics devices and dashcams give insurers and police a detailed view of events leading up to a crash: speed, harsh braking, cornering forces and sometimes even in‑car audio. Combined with police reports on breathalyser results, field impairment tests and roadside observations, this data can paint a clear picture of how shandy consumption affected driving behaviour.
If the data shows repeated speeding, late braking and poor lane‑keeping shortly after visits to licensed premises, arguments that “it was only a couple of shandys” tend to fall flat. For drivers on telematics‑based insurance, drink‑related markers can also trigger premium hikes or cancellation at renewal time, even if no legal limit was exceeded.
Write‑offs, repair authorisation and total loss valuations when drink‑driving is proven
Where drink‑driving is clearly proven — for example through a positive evidential breath test and resulting conviction — most insurers reserve the right to decline paying for damage to the policyholder’s own vehicle. Some will still meet third‑party liabilities, as required by law, but decline repair or total loss payments on the offending driver’s car. In practical terms, that means a written‑off vehicle after an alcohol‑related crash may have to be replaced entirely at the driver’s expense.
Even when an insurer chooses to pay, drink‑driving can lengthen investigations and delay settlement while reports are gathered and liability is resolved. That delay can leave a driver without a car for longer, complicating attempts to arrange re‑tests after an MOT failure or to keep up workplace and family commitments.
Criminal records, increased premiums and potential vehicle finance issues following drink‑drive convictions
A confirmed drink‑drive conviction creates a criminal record and a long‑lasting entry on the driving licence. Insurers typically load premiums heavily for at least five years, and some finance companies treat recent drink‑driving as a red flag when approving car loans or PCP agreements. For anyone tied into existing finance, writing off a car while over the limit can leave an outstanding balance with no asset to show for it.
Against that backdrop, the question “How many shandys can you have and drive before it affects your MOT?” becomes less about squeezing under a breathalyser reading and more about risk tolerance. Even modest shandy consumption can be the first link in a chain that leads from a missed MOT appointment to a criminal conviction, soaring premiums and long‑term financial strain. Treating any alcohol as incompatible with driving to or from MOT tests is, for most motorists, the simplest way to avoid joining those statistics.