Drinkaware have issued a warning to the public to drink responsibly as the August Bank Holiday weekend approaches.
The caution comes after the June bank holiday weekend saw 110 people arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Authorities also warn that in the past, bank holiday weekends tend to see spikes in road incidents, with four people killed during the June bank holiday this year, and they’re insisting that this trend of collisions and fatal injuries during bank holiday weekends “must be broken.”
Therefore, Drinkaware say that it’s important that anyone who will be out celebrating the August Bank Holiday weekend know that:
- It takes at least one hour to process one standard drink. Examples of a standard drink are half a pint of beer, a 100ml glass of wine, or a standard measure of spirits.
- One thing people may not know is that the time starts from when the last drink is finished. For example, if a person finished 3 pints of beer at midnight, they will have consumed 6 standard drinks, this means they need 6 hours from midnight when they stopped drinking before their body will have processed the alcohol and they should not get behind the wheel of a car until 6 am at the earliest
- Many things such as your weight, age, gender, metabolism, mood, whether you’ve eaten, etc, can further delay the processing time. 1 hour per standard drink is a guideline only.
If you’re planning on having a drink when you’re out:
- Leave the car at home
- Plan ahead if visiting a place you haven’t been before, make sure there are alternative options such as buses, taxis or trains
- Switch to an alcohol alternative to ensure that you are safe to drive, and don’t take any unnecessary risks
- If visiting a rural area call the restaurant or pub ahead of time to see if shuttle services are available
- If staying in a hotel/B&B check with the staff for options in taking you to and from places
Speaking ahead of the weekend celebrations, CEO of Drinkaware, Sheena Horgan, said: “We know that the Irish public has the best of intentions and want to do the right thing. The massive increase of 113% in visits to the Drinkaware drink driving webpage this year shows that people want to know the facts and to keep their families and communities safe.
“The tragic loss of life on Irish roads this year is a trend we can all help to break by acting on the factual information provided and following the RSA and An Garda Síochána’s advice.
“Ahead of the August bank holiday, I invite everyone to avail of free Drinkaware resources, such as our Drinks Calculator and our drink driving webpage for more information. Let’s make this bank holiday weekend a safe, fun, and enjoyable time for all.”
READ NEXT:
- Pub customer slams staff for treatment of daughter, 19, who wanted to drink wine
- Met Eireann pinpoint arrival of miserable weather with 'heavy bursts' of rain in two regions
- Ger Loughnane: Few people ever had as big an ego as Brian Cody
- Dec Donnelly welcomes baby son whose name includes touching nod to best pal Ant McPartlin
- Love Island's Jay reveals 'mandatory' part of show that he 'hated' every day
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
