As Christmas Day draws ever closer, the growing number of parties and gatherings taking place means that Scots are drinking their favourite tipple a little bit more than usual.
But it appears that the rules over drink-driving appears to be lost on a number of people, according to Vanarama.
The firm surveyed 1,000 adults in the UK and asked them about their knowledge on the rules surrounding drink-driving.
One in five adults wrongly suggested that two small glasses of wine is under the Scottish limit 50mg of alcohol for every 100ml of blood.
A third of people also said that a glass of Champagne would have no impact on the ability to drive.
When asked if 12 hours was enough to stabilise your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) after five pints of lager and two vodka singles, more than one in ten were confident than it was.
But studies show that this could take up to 50 per cent longer, depending on a number of factors - such as weight and alcohol tolerance.
Vanarama said that drivers with a BAC of less than 0.05 per cent (which is roughly one and a bit pints of lager) have three times the risk of dying in a vehicle crash.
This increase to 11 times more likely if you drink the equivalent of three or four pints.
Scots can also face punishment for standing next to their car while intoxicated - which can result in three months in prison and up to £2,500 in fines and a possible driving ban.
Attempting to actually drive under the influence raises this to six months in jail, unlimited fines and a driving ban of at least a year or three, if you have been convicted twice within a decade.
Vanarama has also listed the common choices of drinks Scots will enjoy over the Christmas period and how long it takes for just one helping to be processed by the body.
- Large glass of wine - 5 hours
- Sex on the Beach - 4 hours
- Double vodka - 4 hours
- Pint of cider - 4 hours
- Long Island Iced Tea - 3.5 hours
- Pint of lager - 3.5 hours
- Pina Colada - 3 hours
- Can of lager - 3 hours
- Glass of Champagne - 2.5 hours
- Single gin - 2.5 hours
Having several helpings of these drinks could take much longer. The Scottish Government states that alcohol can take up to 24 hours or longer to leave your system.
The firm has also provided five tips on how to stay on the roads this Christmas.
- For the full avoidance of doubt, don’t drive after any amount of alcohol – even if it’s only a few mouthfuls of lager. This is unlikely to put you over the limit but could still affect your driving ability. Alcohol-free alternatives, such as mocktails and Heineken 0.0, are a safer option.
- There really is science behind ‘lining the stomach’. A full stomach before drinking can slow the absorption of alcohol and help manage your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) better. Even if you won’t be driving until the day after, this is recommended.
- Have a soft drink or glass of water every other drink or at regular intervals. Overall, you’ll still feel the merry effect of alcohol but won’t be consuming as much of it. Regardless of how much you’ve eaten, however, make sure to stay within the drink-drive limit and avoid driving the day after a heavy night out.
- Give your body plenty of time to process the alcohol the following day. Especially after a heavy session, seven or eight hours of sleep likely won’t be enough to bring you below the drink-drive limit. Free online tools, such as the Morning After Calculator, can estimate how long a range of drinks will stay in your system.
- For the full better-safe-than-sorry approach, consider buying your own alcohol breathalyser. The Alcosense Lite2, for example, is available from several UK retailers for less than £50 – a small cost for total peace of mind.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
