Drink driving: Familiar scenarios that could put you at risk

Brought to you by Drinkaware.

You’d be suspicious if someone approached you in a pub and offered to sell you a bag of magic beans.

Yet just like magic beans, the "logic" commonly used by drink drivers rarely holds up to scrutiny. So what are some of the drink driving excuses you hear in pubs up and down the country?

“It’s only down the road”

The fact that you’re only travelling a short distance is pretty irrelevant. You’re still taking an unnecessary risk if you’ve been drinking. Think about it in terms of swimming across a crocodile-infested river. The distance you have to swim isn’t the most important part of the equation.

“I don’t want to pay for a taxi”

We’re going to let you in on a secret. Nobody really wants to pay for a taxi. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil if you’ve been drinking and you haven’t organised a lift or a designated driver. You’ll also have to pay for a lot of buses and taxis if you’re disqualified for drink driving. And if you cause an accident, the cost could be even higher.

“I’m more careful after a couple”

So you’re safe because you’re aware of the risk and you’re consciously taking steps to reduce it. Two out of five drivers who admitted to drink driving said they consumed two or more drinks. You wouldn’t let a surgeon open you up after two pints. Even if he promised to be “careful.”

“I had a good night’s sleep”

Sleep can do many wonderful things but it can’t make time go faster when it comes to processing alcohol. Over one in ten arrests for driving under the influence are made between 8am and 2pm. To work out if you’re safe to drive, allow one hour for a standard drink of alcohol and an additional hour for the time it took the first drink to enter your bloodstream. And the clock starts from the time you stopped, not the time you started!

“The guards are never out”

It’s not the Gardaí you should be worried about. It’s the statistics. Alcohol was a contributing factor in almost one in four fatal road collisions in Ireland. There are worse things than being caught. You can’t argue with the facts. Alcohol is a factor in almost 40% of all road fatalities and young men are once again the main perpetrators. It’s hard to believe that we’re here again but it’s a fact. Limits are not targets. There’s no way around it. Any amount of alcohol will affect your ability to drive safely. Never ever drink and drive. It’s time to say “I’ve had enough.” Brought to you by Drinkaware.