THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE Green Flag warns of next day implications if you have been

drinking While statistics show that more drivers are taking heed of the government's Christmas drink-drive campaigns, by leaving their cars at home if they plan to celebrate, many still ignore the danger of driving the morning after the night before, warns Green Flag motoring assistance. A survey conducted by the motoring assistance company revealed that many drivers do not realise the risk they pose by driving the morning after a drinking session. For example, two thirds of drivers questioned (65 per cent) said they plan on celebrating New Year's Eve until the early hours, yet 44 per cent of them admitted that they would be using their cars on New Year's Day, even though they could be dangerously over the drink drive limit. Spokesperson for Green Flag, Nigel Charlesworth commented: "Drivers do seem to be following government advice, by either not drinking when they drive or leaving their cars at home, as they celebrate the festive season. However, we were extremely concerned that many do not realise that alcohol may still be in their blood when they get behind the wheel the next day." "Over ten per cent* of positive breath tests taken last year happened in the morning (between 6am and lunchtime), meaning those who began with good intentions the night before were still found guilty of a drink driving offence." A separate report conducted by Green Flag in conjunction with road safety charity Brake** confirms that many drivers are prepared to take the risk, with 17 per cent admitting that they would be prepared to drive at 7am after drinking heavily the night before. The survey also questioned drivers on their perceptions of legal limits. It discovered that more than 60 per cent of male drivers surveyed claimed to know the legal limits for driving, but the amount of alcohol they thought they could drink ranged from one glass of wine to three pints of beer (1-6 units). While only a third of women thought they knew the legal limits, which ranged from two to four units of alcohol. Under current law, the legal limit is still 80mg/100ml of blood alcohol level, commonly believed to be three units of alcohol although there are strong lobbies to reduce this. Each unit equates to a single measure of spirits or a small glass of wine. One normal Pint is usually 3 units. However, there is no failsafe guide as to how much you can drink to stay under the current limit as its effect depends on weight, age, sex and metabolism: On average, 50 per cent of alcohol will be absorbed into the blood stream in just 10 minutes. It takes one hour for a unit of alcohol to be completely absorbed into the blood stream. Drinking a strong cup of coffee or eating a meal will not help to get rid of the alcohol any quicker. The only cure to sobering-up is time. Be careful of measures at private parties, they can be far more generous than those served at bars and restaurants. Avoid homemade punch, as these tend to contain high levels of strong alcoholic drinks masked by fruit juices. The truly safe action is to not drink at all if driving. If you have been celebrating heavily, then avoid driving the next day, at least until after lunchtime.

A proportion of drivers have not fully understood the implications of drinking and the time it takes for the body to recover. They are unwittingly at risk of offending and potentially harming themselves, loved ones or innocent road users through their decision to drive after a night on the tiles.

One drink at lunch affects your driving

By Celia Hall, Daily Telegraph Medical Editor(Filed: 21/08/2003)

One large vodka and orange at lunchtime is enough to impair driving skills and reduce mental alertness even though the driver is still below the legal blood alcohol limit, researchers say today. The effect was even more apparent when a driver had had a poor night's sleep, according to Prof Jim Horne, of the sleep research centre at Loughborough University. The combination of the low level of alcohol and the naturally occurring "afternoon dip" in mental alertness affected driving performance significantly, Prof Horne reports in a study published today. Although the driver's brainwaves registered the lack of alertness, the drivers were unaware of their condition. Driving impairment, measured by "lane drifting", was 10 times more frequent, 30 to 60 minutes after the lunchtime drink in the men who had slept poorly than in those who had drunk no alcohol and slept well. The effect was less immediately after drinking but still five times greater two hours later. "We are talking about micro-sleeps when the driver sleeps for a few seconds, the eyes start drooping and the expression is glazed. "The effect is that you do not make the normal corrections and when you are whizzing along at speed this becomes significant," Prof Horne said yesterday. "People don't seem to realise that alcohol, even in small amounts, can be dangerous and that alcohol is soporific in its own right. "It is the same when people who go to parties and drink a very little and then are abstinent and drive home at 2am or 3am. They may be below the limit but they don't realise they may be affected. People should be aware of this." The study, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, says sleepiness accounts for about 10 per cent of all road crashes, with the risk increased on motorways and other monotonous roads. These accidents result in more serious injuries and death because of the driver's failure to brake and the higher impact of the crash. The study follows French research which showed that when sleepiness was combined with alcohol, even in very small amounts, accidents were more likely. The French researchers found an effect when the driver had only 0.01 grams of alcohol per 100ml of blood. In Britain the alcohol limit for drivers is 0.08g/100ml. The British team recruited 12 fit men aged between 20 and 26, all with two years' driving experience and with no sleeping problems. They were tested in a simulator that provided a dual carriageway and rumble strips. The number of times a driver drifted across a lane was taken to mean "sleepy driving". In the test the drivers did not know if they had drunk 75ml of vodka (2.75 units), disguised in 300ml orange juice, or not. They were tested with alcohol and without and after a good night's sleep and when they were woken after five hours. They had all eaten two cheese rolls with their drink.