Police warning on driving this morning - 'St Berocca Day'

Considering the fact many across the region took a drink yesterday to celebrate Ireland's patron Saint, police are urging drivers not to "take a chance" on the roads this morning.
You could still be over the limit this morningYou could still be over the limit this morning
You could still be over the limit this morning

In a message which has been posted across the PSNI's Facebook pages, they warned: "If you had a drink last night don’t take the chance today.

"You could still be over the limit so leave the car behind and don’t risk it. Never, ever drink and drive."

In a humorous twist on the same message, Craigavon PSNI have renamed today "St Berocca Day".

They said: "Happy Saint Berocca day...when we remember the patron Saint of hangovers!

"If you're still mashed this morning, or feeling like there's a St Paddy's party going on in your head, don't even think about driving.

"'Oh but I thought I was ok...' IS NOT an excuse.

"You'll spend your Saturday morning in custody and leave with a charge sheet. You'll lose your license and potentially get a hefty fine as well. If you need your license for work or even just to get to work, that's that screwed as well.

It's not worth it.

Phone a taxi, or maybe just stay at home and get ready for Ireland v England."

According to the NHS it takes an average of an hour for bodies to break one unit of alcohol, but this can vary depending on weight, height, age, whether you are on medication, if your liver is working properly and how even things such as how much food you have eaten and your quickly your metabolism works.

One unit is equivalent to 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol.

There are roughly:

2.1 units in a standard glass (175ml) of average-strength wine (12%)

3 units in a large glass (250ml) of average-strength wine (12%)

2 units in a pint of low-strength lager, beer or cider (3.6%)

3 units in a pint of higher-strength lager, beer or cider (5.2%)

1 unit in a single measure of spirits (25ml)

When added up, the breakdown time can increase, for example, if you drink a large (250ml) glass of wine, your body takes around three hours to break down the alcohol and for one pint of beer it can take around two hours.

If you have a few drinks during a night out, it can take many hours for the alcohol to leave your body the NHS advise, so the alcohol could still be in your blood the next day.

So if you drive the day after an evening of drinking, you could be over the legal alcohol limit.