The issue of morning after drink driving has been raised again – on the back of a survey suggesting a third of motorists fail to understand the importance of allowing enough time for alcohol to clear.
The survey, carried out by breathalyser firm AlcoSense, found 44% of respondents would drive before 11am – despite drinking five large glasses of wine or five pints of medium-strong beer the night before.
Just one in six (17%) would wait until noon, which is the time they are likely to be completely clear of alcohol if they stopped drinking at 1am.
Meanwhile, nearly half (49%) thought a good night’s sleep was one of the best ways to sober up before driving. Eating a hearty breakfast was mentioned by 40%, while 24% said a strong black coffee would help.
Hunter Abbott, managing director of AlcoSense Breathalysers, said: “It takes about an hour to break down one unit of alcohol, and there’s nothing you can do to speed up the rate it leaves your system.
“Caffeine doesn’t work, nor does sleeping it off or taking a cold shower the following morning.”
Studies show that even with just 10mg of alcohol in your blood (one eighth of the legal limit in England and Wales), drivers are 37% more likely to be involved in a fatal crash.
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