A single pint of strong beer could be enough to put drinkers over the limit if a report on drink-driving is taken on by the government.
In a report published today road safety advisor Sir Peter North has recommended the legal limit should be reduced from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg, bringing UK into line with most other European countries.
However, if the proposal to keep the current mandatory 12-month driving ban for offenders was approved, it would make the UK system one of the strictest in Europe.
The review identified the possible damage that these recommendations could do to rural pubs, but Sir Peter stressed that the reduction would save over 150 lives a year.
The tougher measures could also give the police powers to carry out random breath tests.
The report was commissioned by former Labour transport secretary Lord Adonis, and it is not yet clear if the coalition government will adopt the changes.
In the run up to the election, Tory transport spokeswoman Theresa Villiers said that the party had no plans to cut the drink driving limit.
Professor Mike Kelly, director of public health excellence at NICE welcomed the report. He said: "Reducing the limit has the potential to make everyone think twice about having a drink before they decide to drive somewhere.
"For this measure to effectively change people's attitudes to drink-driving and improve road safety in the long term, it must be supported by ongoing publicity, as well as visible and rapid enforcement."
Transport secretary Philip Hammond has agreed to consider the recommendations before making any changes in the law.
"We will need to carefully consider these with other government departments. In doing so it is important that we fully investigate the economic and public service resource impact changes would have."