Help Keep Our Roads Safe this St. Brigid's Weekend

Drinkaware, the national independent charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse, is providing advice and tips to stay safe this February bank holiday.

86% of the public agree that any amount of alcohol impairs your ability to drive.

In 2023, over 246,830 people used the Drinkaware Drinks Calculator. This highlights how much people want to do the right thing and help reduce the risk of drink driving the morning after consuming alcohol.

The Drinkaware Drinks Calculator allows anyone to input the amount and types of drinks they have consumed and receive an estimated time of how long it will take the body to process the alcohol.

Ahead of the long weekend, Drinkaware wants to remind people of the dangers of driving the morning after drinking, highlighting the Drinkaware drinks calculator as a useful tool to keep track of how many drinks you’ve had and providing an estimation of how long it will take your body to process alcohol.

If you see someone attempting to or drink driving, don’t be a bystander, step in and help keep Irish roads safe this bank holiday. 

To assist the government’s Road Safety Strategy to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 50% over the next decade, Drinkaware is urging the public to get the facts about alcohol and never drink and drive. 

Know the facts:    

·       It takes at least one hour to process one standard drink 

·       An average pint of beer equals two standard drinks. This means it will take your body two hours to process one pint of beer 

·       Alcohol levels continue to rise for hours after consuming the drink of choice 

·       The only way to remove alcohol from your system is time, no amount of food or water will speed up the process 

·       Neither will the common myths of showering, eating a large breakfast, coffee, energy drinks or exercise 

·       The processing time starts from when the last drink is finished. 

If you’re planning on having a drink when you’re out: 

·       Leave the car at home   

·       Plan ahead - make sure there are alternative options such as buses, taxis or trains  

·       Switch to an alcohol-free alternative to ensure that you are safe to drive, don’t take any unnecessary risks 

·       If visiting a rural area call the restaurant or pub ahead of time to see if shuttle services are available  

·       If staying in a hotel/B&B check with the staff for options in taking you to and from places  

Drinkaware Director of Communications Chris Ó Lorcáin, commented, “We know that the Irish public have the best of intentions and want to do the right thing. With our Drinks Calculator and the Drink Driving in Ireland page continuously in the top three most visited pages on the Drinkaware website, we can see that people want to know the facts and to keep their families and communities safe.

“15 lives have been lost on Irish roads within the first month of 2024. To help break this tragic trend, we must all avail of the factual information provided, follow the RSA and An Garda Síochána’s advice and remember that any amount of alcohol will impair your ability to drive. 

“This St. Brigid’s weekend, Drinkaware invites everyone to avail of our free resources, such as our Drinks Calculator and our drink driving webpage for more information. Let’s make the first long weekend of 2024 a safe, fun and enjoyable time for all.”