Holiday season: alcohol, drugs, fatigue, and winter driving
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Prepare the return before the first drink
The best decision is made before the evening: designate a person who will consume neither alcohol nor drugs, book accommodation, check available transportation, or plan for a taxi.
Delaying this decision until leaving exposes you to peer pressure, poor self-assessment, and the absence of available solutions.
Why does winter increase the difficulty?
- longer nights and reduced visibility;
- fog, rain, snow, or ice;
- fatigue related to late hours and meals;
- unusual routes or poorly lit rural roads;
- overheated cabin promoting drowsiness;
- longer braking distances on degraded roads.
These factors require a greater safety margin, even for a driver who has consumed no substances.
Alcohol and drugs: effects that can reinforce each other
Cannabis can slow reactions and alter perception. Stimulants can encourage risk-taking and temporarily mask fatigue. Opiates, benzodiazepines, and certain medications can cause significant drowsiness.
Mixing with alcohol makes the effects even more unpredictable. Do not try to compensate for one substance with another, coffee, a cold shower, or a few hours of randomly timed waiting.
What role for breathalyzers and saliva tests?
A compliant breathalyzer can help assess blood alcohol level according to its usage conditions. A saliva test can detect certain drugs at the threshold specified in its instructions.
These tools do not cover all causes of unfitness and should not be used to turn consumption into permission to drive.
- respect the delay indicated by the manufacturer before sampling;
- check the expiration date and storage conditions;
- read the result only within the designated window;
- consider any doubtful result as unreliable;
- do not drive after consumption, even if the test seems negative.
Medications are often forgotten
Before a trip, check the pictograms and medication leaflet. Sleeping pills, anxiolytics, opioid painkillers, antihistamines, or certain psychiatric treatments can affect driving, alone or with alcohol.
If in doubt, ask a doctor or pharmacist for advice and never change a treatment solely to be able to drive.
A simple checklist for the return
- confirm the sober driver before the evening;
- check the weather, road conditions, and fuel;
- plan a backup solution and a place to sleep;
- do not let an obviously unfit person take the wheel;
- properly seat passengers and fasten seat belts;
- take a break at the first signs of drowsiness.
Equip a party or event
AMA Prévention offers breathalyzers, saliva tests, and prevention solutions for organizers, companies, and individuals. Equipment must always accompany a plan for the return and a clear message of no driving after consumption.
See breathalyzersEquip an event
