New Years' Eve can be a night where some people go overboard with the drink.
If you're left with a sore head this morning, you might be wondering if you can legally get behind the wheel.
SO, how long should you wait before driving?
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The road safety charity Brake found that one in five motorists admit to driving the morning after drinking heavily the night before.
Some people think that if they have been to sleep, that means they are all right to drive - but, in fact, you could wake up still over the limit.
Drinkaware’s chief medical adviser, Dr Paul Wallace, said: “The amount of alcohol in your bloodstream depends on three things; the amount you take in, over what period of time and the speed at which your body gets rid of it.”
How quickly is alcohol removed from the body?
Alcohol is removed from the blood at the rate of about one unit an hour - but this varies from person to person.
According to the NHS, the speed at which your body processes alcohol can depend on your size, gender, age, the state of your liver, your metabolism, how much food you have eaten, the type and strength of the alcohol you’ve consumed and whether you’re taking medication.
Can you speed up the process?
No. Drinking lots of water, or eating a big breakfast might help "sober you up", but it won’t actually quicken the speed at which alcohol leaves the body, according to Dr Wallace.
You just need to be patient and wait it out, or use a different method of travel.
What to do if you need to drive the next day
Drinkaware suggests the following:
- Opt for lower strength drinks - that’s 4% ABV or lower beer and 12% ABV or lower wine.
- Choose single measures instead of doubles.
- Make every other drink a soft drink.
- Stop drinking before the end of the night, so your body has time to process the alcohol before the morning.
How many units does a drink contain?
There is still confusion over this, but the NHS says there is roughly:
175ml glass of wine of average strength (12%) - 2.1 units
250ml glass of wine of average strength (12%) - 3 units
One pint of low-strength lager, beer or cider (3.6%) - 2 units
One pint of high-strength lager, beer or cider (5.2%) - 3 units
One single measure of spirits - 1 unit
