Drink driving - the morning after

Duck2water Car Insurance warns of the dangers of driving the morning after drinking alcohol.

Most drivers realise that they are going to be over the limit if they drive their car soon after having alcoholic drinks, but many do not consider how long it takes for alcohol to stop affecting their bodies. Just four drinks in the evening means that a person is likely to be over the drink drive limit the next morning, making them up to 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident.

Over 15 million motorists are thought to underestimate the amount of time it takes for alcohol to leave the system. A Scottish study found that men aged 18-29 thought that it would take 4 hours for the effects of 4 pints to wear off, whereas it can actually take up to 12 hours. In light of this finding, the reason that over half of all young drivers have driven the morning after a heavy drinking session is probably because many do not realise that they are likely to be over the limit.

The problem is compounded by an increasing number of pubs serving larger measures than before. 4 out of 10 pubs now serve 35ml spirit measures compared to the old norm of 25ml, which means that many people may be imbibing more alcohol than they realise.

Rebecca Pearson of www.duck2watercarinsurance.co.uk says on driving the morning after drinking:

“It is impossible to tell exactly how much alcohol you have in your system after you have had a few drinks, so, as the police recommend, it is best not to drive if you drank even a moderate amount the night before as you may have an increased risk of making a car insurance claim following an accident.

85% of the customers we surveyed gave an incorrect answer when we asked them how long it takes for the effects of alcohol to wear off. However, 55% said that they have at least once decided not to drive the morning after a night of heavy drinking, which shows there is some awareness of the problem.”