We are all familiar with the expression ‘sleeping it off’ - but we should be aware of the dangers of taking those words at face value.

West Yorkshire road safety officers are warning drivers over the festive period that they could still be over the limit if they have drunk alcohol the night before. They are urging them to think before they drive as any amount of alcohol, even drunk many hours before, can still affect your driving.

Alcohol levels can stay longer in their bodies than they may think - even if it is the morning after.

“We want to alert drivers to the fact that driving the next day could be a very dangerous thing to do,” say Sue Snoddy, casualty reduction and road safety manager with Bradford Council.

“People naturally want to enjoy themselves but we just want to get across the message that there is no safe way to calculate how much alcohol you can drink and stay below the limit.

“Any amount of alcohol can affect your ability to drive and time is the only way to get it out of your system. If in doubt, avoid driving altogether or don’t drink.”

She adds: “Almost one in six convicted drink drivers are caught the morning after drinking. A drink drive conviction can result in a prison sentence, driving ban or fine.”

Any amount of alcohol affects people’s ability to drive, warns the Department for Transport. There is no foolproof way of drinking and staying under the limit, or of knowing how much an individual person can drink and still drive safely.

This year marks 50 years of anti-drink-drive campaigns. Through a combination of road safety information campaigns and police enforcement, road deaths nationally due to drink driving have fallen from 1,640 in 1979 when detailed records began, to 230 in 2012.

Road safety minister Robert Goodwill says: “ Drink driving wrecks lives, and the personal consequences of a conviction can be devastating.” A new THINK! Campaign has been launched by the Government, with a hard-hitting TV advert.

West Yorkshire Police has launched a festive crackdown ‘ It’s Not Worth The Risk’ by making public charges made against those suspected of drink or drug driving.

The penalties for drug driving are the same as for drink driving. If convicted you will receive a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record and a fine of up to £5,000 or up to six months in prison.

The road safety charity Brake, offers general guidance on how long it takes for alcohol to pass through your system, along with a morning after calculator looking at how long people should wait until they are safe to drive. But, the charity stresses, the best advice is not to drink at all when driving.

Inspector Joanne Field, who leads West Yorkshire Police's Roads Policing Unit, said: ‘‘The morning after the night before is an aspect of drink driving a lot of people can overlook.

‘‘You can still be over the legal limit many hours after your last drink. There are many myths around things you can do to sober yourself up including sleep, coffee and cold showers, but the only way to get alcohol out of your system is time. Each person is different and many factors affect how quickly your body processes alcohol.

‘‘If you've had a heavy night, please think very carefully before you drive your car the following day, particularly if it's early. Last December we arrested and later charged 36 people in connection with drink or drug driving related offences between the hours of 4am- 11am.

‘‘The theme of this year's campaign is 'It's not worth the risk' and that couldn't be more true of driving the morning after.’’

Each person’s tolerance to alcohol depends on a number of factors including weight, gender, metabolism, current stress levels and how recently they have eaten.

Tom Rhodes, district prevention manager with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, stresses the dangers of driving the morning after. “As well as running the risk of being prosecuted, there is the carnage that can result which impacts upon many people.

“People can be left with life-changing injuries, with families also becoming the victims. Then there are all the other people who are involved, such as the fire fighters and other emergency services who attend the scene.

He adds: “Those celebrating mid-week may be getting up to drive to work or take children to school. All it takes is for a driver to be slightly impaired and you run the risk of ruining your life and possibly someone else’s too.”

Visit morning-after.org.uk and brake.org.uk

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