Top Tips For Avoiding Drink Driving At All Costs

Drink driving is a serious criminal offence with severe legal, financial, and personal consequences. Ensuring you don’t get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol is not just about obeying the law, but it’s also about protecting lives.
Here are some practical tips to help you avoid drink driving at all costs:
1. Always plan your journey in advance
If you know you’ll be drinking alcohol, plan how you’ll get home, or get to your next destination beforehand. This completely eliminates even the idea of drinking and driving in the first place, and ensures that you won’t be stranded.
Booking a taxi is a great option, however you could also book public transport, or arrange a lift from a family member or friend.
2. Stay over at a friend’s or book a hotel
If you’re drinking at a friend or family member’s house, ask if you can stay the night to avoid having to drive or book a taxi back home while drunk.
Alternatively, you could book a nearby hotel before your night out to avoid any temptation of driving home.
3. Avoid driving to events where you’ll drink
If you’re attending a party or heading to an event where you know you’re going to drink or going to be tempted to drink, leave your car at home. This removes the option of driving entirely and eliminates any risk of making a poor decision.
When you’re under the influence of alcohol, you might not have the same level of cohesive and sensible thinking as you do when you’re sober, which could result in a poor decision to drive home despite drinking alcohol.
4. Use a personal breathalyser
Invest in a reliable personal breathalyser to check your alcohol levels the morning after drinking. Even if you haven’t driven directly after a night out, chances are that your BAC (blood alcohol content) levels are still high the following morning/next day.
5. Drink alcohol-free drinks
If you’re driving, limit yourself to soft drinks, mocktails or other alcohol free drinking alternatives. Mocktails or alcohol free versions of spirits and beer are the best options if you still want something different to soft drinks, but without the alcohol.
Many venues offer alcohol-free alternatives that allow you to enjoy the night without compromising safety, especially during dry January where a lot of people are opting for alcohol-free drinks.
6. Don’t drive the morning after
Remember that alcohol takes time to leave your system. To make sure you’re not unknowingly drink driving, either hold off on driving completely or use a personal breathalyser to check whether you should be driving or not.
You should also make sure to have a healthy and nutritious breakfast in the morning, as well as take any vitamins to replenish the vitamins and minerals lost while your body was processing alcohol.
Driving the morning after drinking heavily can still be dangerous and illegal. A general guideline is to allow at least one hour per unit of alcohol before driving but this varies based on factors like your metabolism, body size, body weight and food intake.
7. Be firm about your drinking boundaries
If others encourage you to have “just one drink“, then make sure you don’t give in to them. One drink can still impair your ability to drive safely, and the risk isn’t worth it. Stand firm and let people know you’re not drinking. Real friends should take no to alcohol as a final answer.
If you might give into temptation or find that going to a pub is too hard, opt for social settings where there’s less likelihood of drinking beyond your limit. For example, gatherings at home with alcohol-free options.
8. Lead by example
Encourage friends and family to avoid drink driving. Sharing transport or appointing a designated driver for group outings creates a culture of responsibility and safety. If a friend suggests drink driving or attempts to get into their car to drive home drunk, make sure to quickly shut the idea down and make sure they get home without driving.
To conclude, drink driving is never worth the risk. There are too many negative consequences, from penalties that include losing your license, fines and imprisonment, to even more serious issues such as injury and death. By following these tips, you’ll help ensure everyone gets home safely.