Late night drinkers warned of driving the morning after

80% of drivers think they might have been over the drink drive limit the morning after a night of drinking, according to an AA Populus poll of 11,388 drivers.

As New Year's Eve approaches drivers are reminded not to take the car early on New Year Eve if they have any doubts about their alcohol levels.

The Automobile Association is supporting the Winter Safe Journeys campaign run by Central Scotland Police, drinks manufacturer, Diageo, and Central FM. This year's three month road safety campaign follows successful campaigns in 2006 and 2007 and the AA is this year working closely with the other partners to raise public awareness of the campaign.

The over 65s were most likely not to have considered that they might be over the limit the morning after.

Drivers aged 25-34 and those in Scotland were most likely to often consider that they might be over the limit the next day.

Drivers in East Midlands and North East were most likely not to consider the possibility that they might be over the drink drive limit.

The research also showed that almost half of all motorists (47%) know someone who drinks and drives, and two thirds of those surveyed (67%) said they would notify the police if someone they knew drove under the influence of a large amount of alcohol that would put them far in excess of the drink drive limit, with 32% saying they would be very likely to do this.

Drink drive fatalities account for 16 per cent of all accident fatalities. In 2006 over half the drivers killed between 10pm and 4am were over the limit. Seventy four per cent of pedestrians killed between 10 pm and 4am were over the legal limit for drivers. Department for Transport figures show the proportion of drink drive accidents in the evening in 2006 has reduced from the proportion in 1996, with particular decreases from 9pm to midnight. However, the proportion of accidents between 5am and noon has increased over the last decade.

Some people think that coffee or fresh air help but time is the only thing that will get the alcohol out of your system. According to government guidelines it takes at least one hour for every half pint of beer, glass of wine or measure of spirits to get out your system.

It is always difficult to calculate when the alcohol has lost its effect. There are varying glass sizes, different strengths of alcoholic drinks and different metabolic rates. It can make a difference whether you have eaten, what you have drunk and even what mood you are in.

Edmund King, AA president said: "On most occasions the majority of drivers will not be over the drink drive limit the morning after. However, if someone has been to a party drinking into the early hours and gets little sleep they might be over the limit the next morning. Most would not be blatantly drink driving but the penalties of minimum one year's ban are likely to be the same.

"Don't let the morning after be a morning disaster. If in doubt don't take the car out."

Chief Inspector Donald McMillan, Head of Road Policing for Central Scotland Police said; "The findings of this panel are staggering and extremely worrying in that 8 out of 10 drivers questioned admitted that they might have driven the morning after whilst over the drink drive limit. We have been concentrating on 'the morning after issue' very heavily during this year's drink drive campaign. We need to keep banging home the message of DONT DRINK AND DRIVE and be aware the next morning. This just gives me more drive to work towards stamping out this irresponsible behaviour which causes people to die and suffer life changing injuries on our roads."