Drinking tonight? Don’t drive tomorrow

Did you know more than 20% of people caught over the drink-drive limit are caught the morning after having a drink – between 6am and noon?

Transport for Buckinghamshire’s road safety initiative, Travel Safe Bucks, is tackling drink driving, with a particular focus on driving ‘the morning after’.

The numbers of people caught over the limit the morning after drinking alcohol has risen significantly in the last decade – to approximately 5,500 people each year. Additionally, studies have shown that every single day, 200,000 people show up to work nursing a hangover. If they drove to work, the chances are they were over the limit.

The statistics are shockingly high, and it often comes down to people simply not realising how long it takes for alcohol to pass through the body. On average, it takes 30 minutes for alcohol to be absorbed into the blood stream, and then one hour per unit consumed for alcohol to leave the body; 8 units would take around 9 hours to leave the body. That’s approximately the equivalent of three large glasses of wine with an ABV of 12%.

The Morning After Calculator can be used to help determine when you will be alcohol free. Input the number of drinks you have had and the calculator will work out an approximate time that it will take for all the alcohol to be out of your system. 

There’s no quick remedy to speed the process up. It doesn’t matter if you eat carb-based foods, drink two litres of water or have a cold shower, the alcohol still takes the same amount of time to leave the body. It’s as simple as this; if you’ve been drinking the night before, don’t drive the morning after.

Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Transport, Steve Broadbent, said: “During the summer months, alcohol consumption tends to rise. We hope by discussing the serious impact of drink driving and educating people about how long alcohol stays in the system for, we can help drivers understand the risks that come with drink driving and prevent them making a mistake the morning after. If you’ve had a drink, don’t drive – it’ll cost you more than your licence”

To find out more about Travel Safe Bucks drink drive campaign, follow them on social media @travelsafebucks. To download the Morning After Calculator app, and for more information about how it works, visit morning-after.org.uk