With St Patrick’s Day just a few days away, many people may be heading for a feed of pints and while the vast majority of people will spend their Saturday lazing away in bed, others may have to make a journey for whatever reason.
However, while it may seem okay to hop behind the wheel of a car after you wake up from a night on the sauce, for the most part just sleeping off isn’t enough to get rid of all the alcohol in your system.
From the time you are allowed to drive after your last drink to whether off-the-shelf breathalysers are okay to use, here is everything you need to know about safely driving after drinking ahead of the St Patrick’s Day weekend.
READ MORE: Wexford GAA hand out maximum suspension following assault on referee
When is it safe to drive after a night of drinking?
The point you take the last sip of your final drink the night before has an impact on when you can drive the following day.
One unit of alcohol takes around one hour to process, with no way to speed up this process. One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol, which is around the amount of alcohol the average adult can process in an hour.
The number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink, as well as its alcohol strength.
One standard drink includes half a pint of beer, stout or lager, a small glass of wine (100ml), or a pub measure of spirits (35.5ml).
Below is the time you are able to drive following taking an amount of that drink:
- 10 pints of lager/stout: If you have 10 pints of Guinness, Heineken, Carlsberg, or some other lager or stout, around 4.5 per cent, according to Drinkaware, you can not get into the car for 20 hours after finishing your final drink. This means that if you call off the festivities at midnight, you will be unable to drive until 8pm the following night.
- One bottle of wine: If you manage to polish off a full bottle of red or white, you will have to stay off the road for eight hours.
- Five vodka and cokes: If you drink spirits, five vodka and cokes equates to five hours of not driving following your final drink.
Is there a way to sober up quicker?
Absolutely not. According to experts, there is nothing that can be done to sober up quicker, with myths like drinking water, coffee, or having a shower or breakfast to sober up is simply untrue.
Can I use a breathalyser?
Drinkaware has warned against relying on off-the-shelf personal breathalysers saying they are not developed using the same standards as those used by the Gardaí.
READ NEXT:
Ireland weather: Forecasters issue grim St. Patrick's Day update before big change
'Time traveller' reveals list of world-altering events due in 2023 - from tsunamis to alien visit
Gary Lineker's son says his dad would return to MOTD but won't ever apologise
Viewers praise Richard Sadlier for tearful interview about becoming a parent
Oscar-nominated Kerry Condon recalls police raid on 'cheap motel' in early days
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
