Is It Safe to Drink a Glass of Wine at a Restaurant and Drive Home?
Explanation:
No, it is not recommended to drink and drive. Alcohol affects your driving ability in several ways. Most notably, alcohol:
- Impairs your judgement significantly
- Slows your reaction time
- Makes it hard to focus on driving
- Affects your ability to control the car or speed
- Reduces coordination
- Inhibits your ability to track moving objects
The general timeline for alcohol metabolism rates vary widely between people and situations. In general, your liver can process around 1 ounce of liquor per hour, which is roughly one standard drink. Keep in mind that boozy beverages arenât created equal. Some contain more alcohol than others. Also, what you consider one drink could actually equate to more (sometimes ~a lot~ more) than whatâs recognized as a standard drink.
Here are some general estimates on how fast the body metabolizes different drinks:
- A small shot of liquor: 1 hour
- A pint of beer: 2 hours
- A large glass of wine: 3 hours
Obviously, the more drinks you consume, the longer itâll take your body to process the alcohol. As a result, youâll have a higher concentration of alcohol in your blood. The factors that can affect metabolism rate include:
- Age
- Biological sex
- Body weight
- Food (empty vs. full stomach)
- Other substances and medications
- How fast you drink
It is important to note that even if you feel fine after drinking a glass of wine at a restaurant, it is not safe to drive immediately after consuming alcohol. It is recommended that you wait for at least 3 hours after drinking a large glass of wine before driving. If you are planning to drink more than one glass of wine, it is best to have a designated driver or use public transportation. I hope this helps!