New Year’s Day is usually among the top days for inebriated drivers to be on the road, as a result increasing the amount of police on the roads and the number of fines dished out for driving under the influence as people head home from New Year’s celebrations. While some people believe they’re safe from both costly offences and dangerous driving by following well-known ‘rules’ and anecdotes, these may actually be complete myths.
A Quotezone survey revealed one in four Brits are completely unaware of how some drink-driving laws and tests work. 12% also fully believed using some “sobering up” methods like drinking coffee would be enough to sober them up to drive.
Thwarting these myths, car insurance experts delved into what all drivers need to know around the New Year’s period. Starting with legal alcohol limits, which is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Scotland is a bit stricter at 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
Driving or even attempting to drive while over these limits can result in up to six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine and a driving ban of at least one year. If you’re convicted twice within 10 years, this ban can increase to three years.
As for how long after a drink you can drive, this largely depends on how your body handles alcohol on a personal level, influenced by your metabolism, body weight and normal alcohol consumption. The experts suggested a measurement of one unit per hour as a rule of thumb.
For example, a single medium glass of wine is equivalent to roughly 2.3 units, so it would take roughly two and a half hours for your body to clear the alcohol. However, residual alcohol can still impair your driving even the next morning. The experts recommended: “If you feel hungover or unsure, it’s safest not to drive at all.”
Common hangover tips and sobering-up methods may make you feel better, but these rarely shift your blood alcohol levels and won’t make it any safer for you to drive. This includes hacks like drinking coffee, taking a cold shower or having a big breakfast.
It’s best to arrange a designated driver ahead of time or use other forms of transport if needed like taxis, public transport or ride-sharing apps. Greg Wilson, CEO of Quotezone, explained: “Time is the only reliable way to ensure it’s safe to drive. Ensuring drivers are fully sober before getting behind the wheel can save lives, protect their licence, and keep the festive season joyful for everyone.”