Driving after the night before

[pigletwillie]

As its stupid season for some people with regard to drinking, just how long does it take a unit of alcohol to get out of the body.

For example if I drank 4 pints of beer, how long till its gone, likewise if a fool drank a bottle of spirits how long would that take to go? If you got hammered one night, could you safely drive at 12 noon the next day or is it taxi time?

[pigletwillie]

Just answered my own question

1 unit takes one hour (average) to clear the body

1 pint of 5% beer is 2.8 units
1 25ml spirit is 1 unit so 30 units to a bottle

go steady there people.

[Jeanied]

Just answered my own question

1 unit takes one hour (average) to clear the body

1 pint of 5% beer is 2.8 units
1 25ml spirit is 1 unit so 30 units to a bottle

go steady there people.

That explains a lot PW. Too many glasses of wine the night before = bad news in the morning. Specially if staying up late and getting up early!

[piskieinboots]

It's been a long while since I've drank alcohol prior to having to drive the next day - doubt I would/could now.

Good timely reminder PW

[pigletwillie]

Work out your alcohol units for yourself with this handy sum: Strength (ABV) x Volume (ml) ÷ 1000 = No. of units.

E.g. Pint of Stella - 5.2 x 568 ÷ 1000 = 2.95

[piskieinboots]

But surely body weight, metabolism etc comes into play?

[Comfreyfan]

I always thought the one unit per hour thing was an urban myth but apparently if you are a healthy young man, average height and weight, living a healthy lifestyle, you can clear one unit of alcohol per hour from your body.

If however you're not a healthy young man etc, you won't!!

[pigletwillie]

apparently it can be up to 3 hours, especially if you hit the sauce regularly.

[OllieMartin]

It surely depends on a large number of things:
- Food
I remember richard hammond drinking while another guy of similar heights and built drank the same with a meal. After 6 pints RH was sloshed and registered 4.6 on the breathalyser, his oppo' registered 0.4
- Timing
1 unit might take one hour to clear, but that's surely if you drink it in one go. If you make a 1 unit G&T last 30-45 minutes then when do you start the timer? Also, if you drink 10 units across the course of a night, by the time you down the last unit the first would surely be gone.
- Metabolism
- Blood volume
People often estimate that humans have 8 pints of blood, but smaller/larger people can have a vastly different amount and the alcohol in it will be concentrated/diluted accordingly.
- Tolerance
I'm not suggesting if you're a big drinker that you're any safer to drive after a few, but some people get drunk far quicker

My Dad also told me he'd had a conversation with a copper after being breathalysed and telling him he'd had "A whiskey and a pint" the night before. The copper said he'd have to have been on a "Very serious drinking session" the previous night to still be too drunk to drive.

[Glutton4...]

Alternating a glass of water between drinks helps flush it through your system too. I had a friend who would do this at 'all day in the Pub parties' when we were younger. At the end of the evening, she was the one with the camera full of embarrassing pictures of the rest of us LOL She didn't even do it so she could drive home, she only lived round the corner. Must have had more respect for her body than the rest of us!

[Two_Sheds]

Weight, body fat, metabolism & sex may well affect how quickly your body breaks down alcohol.

However, one unit an hour is a good rule of thumb.

Zero units for driving is an even better one

[bobleponge]

Think I've mentioned this before on here, so if you've read this before I'm sorry but:

As a much younger man, one of them fit young types mentioned earlier, a group of us soldiers went out for a proper night on the sauce. Started at 6pm with a dustbin full of spirits and cider, then downtown for larrggeerrr, finishing when you fell over, which we mainly did.
Next morning, up at 6.30 for a decent breakfast and loads of water, then out for a 3 hour tab (which is like a yomp but twice the distance at 3 times the speed) again with loads of water.
Finished, and up into the bar for sandwiches and tea/coffee etc.
The boss had arranged for the local feds to come in with a breathaliser to check those who wanted to be checked.
I cant remember the exact numbers who were checked, but it was well over 20, and not one of us passed a police breath test. I accept we were properly drunk the night before, with consumption that isnt to be recommended, but we were all still surprised to see we were still over the legal limit at around midday the following day, after lots of exercise, food and water.

[OllieMartin]

...I cant remember the exact numbers who were checked, but it was well over 20, and not one of us passed a police breath test. I accept we were properly drunk the night before, with consumption that isnt to be recommended, but we were all still surprised to see we were still over the legal limit at around midday the following day, after lots of exercise, food and water.

Well that goes against everything my Dad said the copper said. And to be honest, I've been well aware of having obvious symptoms of drunkenness the following day, but passed it off as a hangover. I'll remember that anecdote, thanks.

I agree with TS, I don't touch any if I think I'll be driving later.

[bubblewrap]

My first wife(before I married her) got breatherlised and was double the limit at 11.30 am the next day A heavy fine and a five year ban for that.
Drink killed my first wife in the end we were together for 8 years.

[Glutton4...]

Think I've mentioned this before on here, so if you've read this before I'm sorry but:

As a much younger man, one of them fit young types mentioned earlier, a group of us soldiers went out for a proper night on the sauce. Started at 6pm with a dustbin full of spirits and cider, then downtown for larrggeerrr, finishing when you fell over, which we mainly did.
Next morning, up at 6.30 for a decent breakfast and loads of water, then out for a 3 hour tab (which is like a yomp but twice the distance at 3 times the speed) again with loads of water.
Finished, and up into the bar for sandwiches and tea/coffee etc.
The boss had arranged for the local feds to come in with a breathaliser to check those who wanted to be checked.
I cant remember the exact numbers who were checked, but it was well over 20, and not one of us passed a police breath test. I accept we were properly drunk the night before, with consumption that isnt to be recommended, but we were all still surprised to see we were still over the legal limit at around midday the following day, after lots of exercise, food and water.

You have posted this on here before, but it does no harm to repeat it! I was guilty of drink-driving in my earlier years, (yes, it was fashionable, at the time ) and thankfully without incident or capture, I am proud to say that I have now changed my ways. This was partly due to seeing a local life ruined by drink driving at a young age. Not only their life, but also the life of the person they killed, and, no doubt, both their families and friends, too.