People surprised at amount of time you have to wait before driving after Christmas drinks

Christmas in Ireland often sees people indulging in a festive tipple, with mulled wine warming shoppers and prosecco toasting the holidays after dinner.

As nights draw in and temperatures plummet – coupled with fewer taxis available – many face the dilemma of driving post-celebration drinks. The crucial point to remember: alcohol in your bloodstream means no driving – penalties range from points to fines, even jail.

Less known is the lingering effect of alcohol; you could still be over the limit the next day, regardless if it's off to a friend's house, work, or Christmas Day Mass. A simple rule: refrain from driving for one hour the following morning for every standard drink consumed such as half a glass of wine or a single spirit measure.

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Drink sizes and their alcohol strength determine the number of standard drinks, which are labeled based on alcohol by volume (%ABV) on each can or bottle. Presently in Ireland, the legal blood alcohol level is 50mg for seasoned drivers, reduced further for learners and professionals at 20mg – so keep mindful of the drinking and driving limits this festive season!

Ever wondered how long you should wait before driving after a night out? Here's the lowdown. If you've had eight glasses of prosecco, a favourite for festive celebrations, that equates to 12 standard drinks.

You'll need to stay off the roads for half of the following day. Two glasses of white wine and six gin and tonics will take nine hours to process!

So if you're planning a night in before hitting the town, don't even think about getting behind the wheel until at least 11am the next day if you hit the hay at 2am.

Six bottles of cider and two vodkas will take your body eight hours to process. Five gin and tonics or five vodka 7ups? That's a five-hour wait.

One bottle of white wine followed by three gins is 10.5 standard drinks, which will take 11 hours to process. So if you're enjoying drinks at home with the family, make sure to keep your car keys out of sight the next morning.

Six Coors Lights or bottles of Heineken will take six hours to process. So if you have plans the next day, it might be best to call it an early night.

Three beers and three vodka and cokes also equate to six standard drinks, meaning a six-hour wait before you're safe to drive. But what does the law say?

A law introduced in October 2018 states that fully licenced drivers caught by An Garda Síochána with a blood alcohol concentration level of between 50mg and 80mg will automatically be disqualified from driving for three months and slapped with a €200 fine. The penalties remain the same for learner, novice and professional drivers - a three-month driving ban and a €200 fine.

Remember, this is an estimated time for information purposes only. On average, it takes one hour to process one standard drink. Any amount of alcohol will affect your ability to drive. So, what's considered a standard drink in Ireland? A pub measure of spirits is 35.5cl.

For more information, visit Drink Aware. Always remember to drink responsibly and use the calculator on drinkaware.ie to keep track of your drinks. Be mindful that alcohol affects everyone differently, and factors such as your size, metabolism, and whether you've eaten can all play a part.

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