Driving hungover can be as dangerous as driving drunk: Edmonton police

Driving the morning after a night of drinking can be just as dangerous and getting behind the wheel impaired. That’s the warning from Edmonton police as we head into the holiday season.

“It’s quite common for us to intercept drivers the morning after who are impaired and fail a roadside screening device,” Sgt. Robert Davis with the Edmonton Police Service’s Impaired Driving Unit said.

READ MORE: 1 in 4 Canadians admit to driving while legally drunk, half think limit is too low

It takes the average person about two hours to metabolize one drink, police said Thursday. But if a person continues to drink, alcohol will stay in a person’s system until it is processed.

Police said it can take over six hours for your body to get rid of the alcohol if you’re over the legal limit, but drivers can show signs of “hangover impairment” up to 20 hours after consuming alcohol.

Watch below: Hangover suit shows the dangers of driving the day after drinking

2:58 Hangover suit shows dangers of driving the day after drinking

Sleeping it off won’t help, officers said, nor will vomiting, drinking coffee, taking vitamins or having a shower.

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“The only thing that will lower your blood alcohol content and sober you up is time,” Davis said. “If you’re out partying, trying to figure out how much you drank, it’s best to avoid driving altogether.”

Watch below: Edmonton police say in the month of December, the number of impaired driving arrests goes up. But as Kent Morrison explains, it’s not just the night of the party that’s the problem.

1:51 Driving with a hangover can be as dangerous as driving drunk: Edmonton police

Police said they arrest, on average, three suspected impaired drivers a day in Edmonton. So far this year, police have made 1,168 impaired driving arrests and handed out 899 licence suspensions.

READ MORE: The culture of drinking and driving in Saskatchewan

Impaired driving has been a factor in 14 per cent of the 28 fatal collisions in Edmonton this year, according to police, and 13 per cent of the 56 serious injury collisions.

Edmonton police urge drivers to arrange a safe ride home before heading out drinking. If anyone suspects an impaired driver is on the road, they’re encouraged to call 911.

Watch below: Deadly crash prompts warning about dangers of driving the morning after a night of drinking

1:54 Deadly crash prompts warning about dangers of driving the morning after a night of drinking

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