Hangovers Can Result in Dangerous Driving Conditions

People who want to be responsible about drinking and driving have long known that it takes more than a few hours or a pot of coffee to sober up and safely hit the road. However, a recent study shows that it takes longer than many may expect to be fully operational behind the wheel after a night of drinking.

Reuters Health recently cited a study from Brown University showing that alcohol continues to affect the brain long after it has left the blood. In other words, those with a hangover continue to have slowed reaction times and concentration difficulties the morning after drinking, even though they would in many cases be able to pass a blood alcohol test.

The wire service noted that researchers did not measure how long the impairment actually lasted, but noted that hangover symptoms such as headaches and drowsiness generally clear up within a few hours.

All states now consider a driver to be impaired when blood alcohol content is .08 percent or higher.

Since causing an accident can result in serious injuries and dramatically higher auto insurance premiums, this is one more reason to think twice about drinking heavily if one is planning to drive home the next morning.