Businesses can help reduce risk of Christmas ‘morning after’ drink driving

Employers can help limit the risk of staff committing ‘morning after’ drink drive offences over Christmas and New Year, according to a motor law expert.

Nama Zarroug of Just Motor Law says employers should consider altering work patterns or expectations to reduce the risk of workers taking to the wheel while over the limit.

Department of Transport figures show that 1-in-5 motorists charged with drink driving are caught the morning after, and that one third of us underestimate when it’s safe to drive the next day.

Zarroug said: “Road safety campaigns have rightly turned the spotlight on the risks of drink driving the ‘morning after.’ Over Christmas and New Year our social diaries are crammed with boozy celebrations.

“Although workers must ultimately take responsibility for themselves, it is reasonable to expect employers to make adjustments the morning after - especially after a works party. For instance, putting back a work shift by a few hours if possible, not asking a person to do unnecessary driving as part of work or even allowing people to work from home.

“Proper advice to staff and possibly monitoring is essential. Car sharing with a person who did not drink can be encouraged or using public transport.

“A driving ban can be catastrophic in terms of a person’s career and reputation. In the worse cases, tragically, lives can also be ruined or lost.

“We are urged to calculate our alcohol levels. It is a very unscientific business as people recuperate at different rates - it is easy to miscalculate with serious consequences.”

Recovery rates vary considerably but some people who have drunk the equivalent of a bottle of wine or five pints of beer are not safe to drive for up to 12 hours - that’s often long after they have clocked on for work the next day.

Many police forces are carrying out ‘morning after’ operations over the holiday season on busy commuter routes, randomly stopping motorists and in some cases ordering breathalyzer tests.

After nearly four decades of decline, the number of drink driving fatalities on the UK’s roads rose 23% to 290 in 2012 - many due to ‘morning after’ drink driving.