LEETON Shire Council is reminding drivers to celebrate safely as the end of year approaches.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Drivers need to remember they may still be over the legal blood alcohol limit the morning after a big night out.
Road safety officer Steph Puntoriero said the number of people caught driving under the influence (DUI) between the hours of 6am and noon last holiday period increased dramatically.
“Eating a meal, consuming extra water or having a shower will not speed up the rate your body gets rid of alcohol, the only thing that sobers you up is time,” she said.
Driving with a blood alcohol level above 0.05 doubles the chance of crashing.
Drivers are encouraged to think about how they are going to get home after celebrating and to have a Plan B. Alternative transport options could include courtesy buses, taxis or by getting a lift with a friend that has not been drinking.
There is also the risk of being over the limit the morning, so don’t risk being caught and ending up with a criminal record.
“Call a cab or arrange a friend to pick you up the next day,” Mrs Puntoriero said.
“There is a disturbing trend among drink drive offenders where many mid and high range offences are being committed by those drinking at private residences.
“Often when people drink at home or at a friend’s there is no such thing as a standard drink measure so people easily lose track of what they have consumed. Also, with the warm weather many people drink more quickly.
“People having parties or barbecues at home should give some thought about how their guests are getting home. Even driving small distances while over the limit substantially increases your risk of a crash.”
Mrs Puntoriero will be distributing paper bags with drink drive messages to bottle shops for use with alcohol purchases over the Christmas period.
The messages remind drivers they can be stopped for random breath testing at any time and to have a “Plan B”. They will be used by bottle shops so customers can take the important messages home with them.
“Those out celebrating this Christmas and New Year should do so responsibly for their own safety and for the safety of others,” Mrs Puntoriero said.