Driving With A Hangover Could Be As Dangerous As Drunk Driving

According to a Medical Daily report, 2 studies conducted recently showed that getting behind the wheel with a hangover can be as dangerous as driving under the influence.

Researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and from the University of the West of England in the U.K. passed the study participants through a series of driving tests that mimicked highway driving in one study. The night prior to the tests, all participants had consumed an average of ten drinks.

There was no alcohol present in the system of any participant but they were observed driving erratically and they were also not able to focus on their driving. Their BAC level results were comparable to those individuals who drive with a BAC level of 0.05%.

Same researchers conducted a second study in which they issued driving tests to the participants. The tests were related to stop-and-go traffic. Researchers told that they observed delayed reactions of the drivers and the speed of all the vehicles were not consistent.

Researchers hope that their studies will create awareness about the risks and the dangers of driving a motor vehicle after a night of drinking alcohol. They said that individuals experiencing a hangover also face problems such as dehydration and sleep deprivation which can make driving dangerous.

Senior researcher at the Center for Accident Research and Road Safety at the Queensland University of Technology, Dr. Mark King said, “We have a law that’s based on blood alcohol concentration. There’s no real way of measuring how hungover someone is. So we’re a bit limited in what we can do. All we can really do is provide advice to people and say your driving could be affected just as badly as if you were under the influence of alcohol as when you’re hungover”.

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