I’M SAFE is an acronym that helps check if we are safe to drive.

If any of your answers are different to the answers below, you should not drive your car or any motorised vehicle. Remember the code I’M SAFE

I= Infection? No, M= Medication? No, S=Sleep? Yes, A=Alcohol? No, F= Food? Yes, E= Emotions? No

Drink Driving in Ireland

Official guidance from the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána says that any amount of alcohol will impair your driving and increase the risk of a collision, making our roads less safe for all road users. The time of your last drink at night will affect when it is safe for you to drive the following day. This means that there could still be alcohol in your system the morning after drinking. In Ireland, almost half of all arrests for driving under the influence of an intoxicant (DUI) take place between midnight and 6am. 1 in 10 DUI arrests are made between 8am and 2pm, with a peak on Sundays.

Try out DrinkAware’s Drinks Calculator to see how many hours it could take for alcohol to leave your system (results show an estimate for education purposes only)

If you are tired or ill, you may not be fit to drive. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that up to 20% of all fatal crashes involve a sleep-deprived driver. Drivers with less than seven hours of sleep dramatically increase their chances of a collision. Sleeping for 5-6 hours doubles your likelihood of crashing compared to those who slept for seven hours or more.

Try to avoid driving when you are not feeling well, and plan long trips carefully to provide time for rest stops every couple of hours. If you begin to feel tired, open a window for fresh air and stop for a cup of coffee or tea. Don’t drive at all if you are very tired, or for at least 15 minutes after waking from sleep.

Remember also that medicines may affect your driving ability. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about any medication you are taking.

CHECK HOW ABOUT YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CONDITION TODAY