Drivers may be unaware they’re still under the influence of alcohol after drinking at Christmas.
A survey previously conducted by Vanarama put a number of drink-driving scenarios to UK adults, from work parties to having a glass of Champagne with Christmas dinner, to gauge people’s understanding of alcohol limits and what actually constitutes a drink-drive offence.
Responses to the research pointed to the fact that millions of motorists could be risking it on the roads after imbibing over the festive season.
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Did you know, for example, that simply standing next to your car while over the limit can land you with a large fine and potentially a stretch in prison?
Or that you are 11 times more likely to die in a vehicle crash if you drive over the limit?
The study revealed that 28 per cent of UK motorists are unaware that drinking a glass of Champagne with their Christmas roast would put them over the alcohol limit in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
And 22 per cent are unaware that drinking two small glasses of wine will put you over the alcohol limit.
And drivers could be risking the morning after a Christmas night out. When asked if 12 hours was enough to stabilise your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) after eight cans of cider, one in six (17 per cent) wrongly said it was safe after this amount of time.
Drink-driving punishments are just as sobering as even standing by or sitting in your stationary car while intoxicated can result in three months’ imprisonment, up to £2,500 in fines and a possible driving ban.
Actually driving or attempting to drive under the influence raises this to six months’ imprisonment, unlimited fines, and a driving ban of at least one year.
Causing death by careless driving while intoxicated could result in 14 years behind bars, unlimited fines, and a two-year minimum ban.
Alcohol affects reaction times, co-ordination, vision and judgement.
According to independent charity Drinkaware, even drivers with a BAC of less than 0.05 per cent (roughly one-and-a-bit pints of lager) have a three-times risk of dying in a vehicle crash.
Those between 0.08 per cent and 0.10 per cent, equivalent to only three or four pints, are 11 times more likely to die in a crash.
Although there has been been a drop in recent years, 7,800 people are estimated to have been killed or injured in 2019 when at least one driver was over the limit, according to the Department for Transport’s latest published statistics.
To help awareness of what the alcohol limit is, Vanarama has shared how long you should wait before driving after for drinking these common alcoholic choices:
How long alcohol remains in your system
- A large glass of wine – 5 hours
- Sex on the beach cocktail – 4 hours
- Double vodka – 4 hours
- Pint of cider – 4 hours
- Long island iced tea – 3.5 hours
- Pint of lager – 3.5 hours
- Pina colada – 3 hours
- A standard glass of Champagne – 2.5 hours
- Single gin – 2.5 hours
The following tips were also shared:
For the full avoidance of doubt, don’t drive after any amount of alcohol. If you feel like you are missing out, stick to alcohol-free alternatives, such as mocktails and alcohol-free beers.
Eating food before drinking can slow the absorption of alcohol and help manage your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) better. Even if you won’t be driving until the day after, this is recommended.
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If you want to drink, stay within the drink-driving limit and have a soft drink or glass of water every other drink or at regular intervals. Overall, you’ll still feel the merry effect of alcohol but won’t be consuming as much of it.
Give your body plenty of time to process the alcohol the following day before you drive. Especially after a heavy session, seven or eight hours of sleep likely won’t be enough to bring you below the drink-drive limit
Consider buying your own breathalyser, for as little as £45 – a small cost to pay for total peace of mind.