Don’t gamble the morning after
Almost a third (32 per cent) of drivers are caught over the legal drink-driving limit the morning after a night out.
More than a quarter of people caught drinkdriving occurred between the hours of 5am and 11am, revealing the risk many drivers are unwittingly taking the next day.
If you drink alcohol, it’s likely you’re familiar with some of the effects of a hangover.
Headaches, nausea and fatigue are just some of the unpleasant but common experiences of the morning after the night before.
But have you ever wondered how a hangover may influence your thoughts and behaviour?
Research shows that hangovers may influence essential cognitive processes which are important for everyday living.
There is evidence of impairments in memory (short and long term), the ability to sustain attention, and psychomotor skills.
The impairments caused by hangovers have implications for lots of us – from parents to health care professionals, teachers to business owners.
Being able to concentrate on one task, or sustain attention, is vital in driving.
Anyone who needs to keep their wits about them and pay attention to a task may find this difficult while experiencing a hangover.
Impairment of sustained attention following alcohol consumption may be due to fatigue – a major and common symptom of being hungover.
Fatigue can influence your ability to maintain focus and lower your mental resource, making engaging in tasks more difficult.
Maintaining attention is an important aspect of driving.
Psychomotor skills involve the informational process related to movement, such as handeye co-ordination.
A hangover could contribute to a delay in correcting the swerve of a vehicle, or reacting to other drivers.