It takes a lot longer than most people think for alcohol to pass through the body.
On average it takes around one hour per unit of alcohol, though this can vary depending on a number of factors.
Because of this, there is a real risk that people who would not dream of driving after drinking may still be unwittingly over the drink drive limit the morning after.
This includes people going about everyday activities such as driving to work, doing the school run, popping to the shops or going to see friends.
Here are a couple of facts about drink driving and the ‘morning after’:
- Data from the Government’s THINK! campaign, published in December 2015, revealed that in 2013 an estimated 740 reported drink drive collisions took place in the morning, and around 5,500 people fail breath tests between 6am and midday every year.
- THINK! research also found that 58% of those surveyed (800 drivers) would have four or more drinks on a night out, and still sometimes take a risk by driving the following morning – with only a third (33%) aware they could still be over the limit.
We’re not saying ‘don’t drink’, but we are saying ‘don’t drink anything if you are driving’ and ‘don’t drink heavily if you have to drive the following morning’.