Road_to_Solo_driving_handbook (2)

you drink and the greater the
alcoholic content of the drink, the
sooner you will reach a higher BAC
• general health – if you are in poor
health, your liver is less able to
process the alcohol you drink
• use of other drugs – combining
alcohol with drugs increases the
risk of motor vehicle crashes even
if you only drink a small amount
of alcohol.
The effect of alcohol can also
exaggerate the mood you are in,
and make you more tired if you are
already tired.
Only time reduces your BAC level
Your body takes time to get rid of
alcohol. No amount of coffee, exercise,
cold showers, fresh air or vomiting will
help reduce your BAC. Whilst these
may make you feel more alert, they
don’t change the amount of alcohol
in your bloodstream or speed up the
processing of the alcohol by your liver.
The liver does this in its own time.
Tip
It is important to remember that
if you have a lot to drink the night
before, you are likely to have
alcohol in your blood the next
morning.
How to avoid drink driving
• Plan ahead. It is more difficult
to plan how to get home if you
have had alcohol to drink, as your
judgement will be impaired. Work
out your travel arrangements before
you go out and start drinking
• Planning ahead is especially
important for P1 drivers who need
to comply with the peer passenger
restriction
• Share a taxi with friends
• Take public transport
• Organise transport with a friend
and agree that whoever is driving
will not drink alcohol
• Organise to stay the night
• Arrange to be picked up by a
relative or friend who hasn’t been
drinking.
You can measure your BAC level by
using a public breath tester. These
are located in some hotels, clubs and
restaurants, and are useful to determine
your BAC level.
Rules and responsibilities
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