Study Shows Hangovers Impair Driving Judgment

Posted in Auto Insurance

December 29th, 2009

We all know that driving while under the influence of alcohol can impair driving ability, but according to a new study, driving while hung over can have a similar effect. The study, conducted by Massachusetts researchers and released in mid-Dec. 2009, found that the effects of intoxication last long after the alcohol is out of the blood stream.

The Effects of Alcohol the Next Morning

The researchers found that whether you drink clear or dark liquor, the effects of intoxication can leave more behind than a nasty headache the next morning. They say there is a level of brain impairment that lingers behind after the alcohol has left the system.

To come to this conclusion, the researchers studied the effects of heavy drinking on 95 young adults ages 21 to 33. Those studied spent two nights at a Boston test facility where some were given alcohol and others a placebo. The researchers found that those who drank the liquor had symptoms of a hangover (headache, nausea, sleepiness) for a few hours after waking the next morning.

Don’t Drive a Car While Hung Over

The researchers proposed that just as those studied had impaired functioning in the morning, the ability to drive would likely be impaired several hours after waking. As a result, driving the morning after an alcohol binge, they suggest, would not be a great idea because reaction times would lag and the ability to concentrate would suffer.

As an auto insured driver, you don’t want anything to happen that may put you or others in danger while behind the wheel. So while you may feel good enough to drive the next morning after heavy drinking, it’s a good idea to wait several hours – until you don’t feel so lousy – to get behind the wheel. This way, you could keep your auto insurance rates low and increase the safety of everyone on the road.