Driver caught seven times the legal limit in middle of national capital

A man has been arrested after being seen slumped at the wheel and driving on the wrong side of the road in the nation’s capital.

A 43-year-old man was arrested in Canberra overnight for allegedly driving with a blood-alcohol level close to seven times the legal limit.

The man was spotted by another driver at a traffic light slumped over his steering wheel at around 7.30pm on Thursday night.

Police say the man failed to respond through several cycles of light changes before driving slowly through the CBD, at times on the wrong side of the road.

The other driver followed the man at a safe distance, providing updates to police who eventually apprehended him.

Later breath analysis of the man returned a result of 0.331 – almost seven times the 0.05 legal limit.

A driver spotted slumped at his steering wheel in Canberra was allegedly seven times the legal blood alcohol level.

The driver was arrested and charged with high-range drink-driving, driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor, use of an unregistered motor vehicle, use of an uninsured motor vehicle.

ACT Road Policing Acting Inspector Travis Mills said he was horrified the man chose to get behind the wheel while so severely affected by alcohol.

“This is not a case where someone has made a small miscalculation and chosen to drive, this is a deliberate – even foolhardy – decision that has put many lives at risk,” Inspector Mills said.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the member of the public who reported this matter. This person may well have saved lives last night. Their response reminds us all that road safety is a shared responsibility.”

The man is scheduled to appear at ACT Magistrates Court on September 26.