How Long After Drinking Is It Safe to Drive?
Wondering How Long After Drinking Is It Safe to Drive? Learn about BAC limits, how alcohol affects your body, and when it’s safe to get behind the wheel.
- How long do you wait to drive after drinking?
- Can you still be drunk after 12 hours?
- Am I safe to drive the day after drinking?
How Long After Drinking Is It Safe to Drive?
Let’s be real—no matter how confident you feel behind the wheel, drinking and driving is never a safe combination.
Alcohol doesn’t just “take the edge off”—it actively interferes with your ability to drive safely. Even a small amount can have serious effects on your brain and body that make the road a risky place—for you and for others.
Here’s how alcohol impacts your driving:
It clouds your judgment, making risky decisions feel okay
It slows down your reaction time—those extra seconds can be fatal
It distracts your focus, pulling your mind off the road
It weakens your control over the car and your speed
It throws off your coordination, even with basic driving tasks
It messes with your ability to follow moving objects—like cars or pedestrians
But what about when you’ve “just had a few”? What if you feel okay—just a little buzzed, maybe even under the legal limit?
The hard truth is that just because you feel fine doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive. Different people process alcohol in different ways. You might not realize how much “just one drink” can slow down your reflexes. And your driving may still be affected even after the effects wear off.
It’s not only against the law to drink and drive; it’s also dangerous and unpredictable. Always pick a ride that is sober. It’s not worth the risk.
Breaking down the general timeline
Some people react differently to alcohol than others, and that’s not just a story. There are a lot of personal and biological factors that can affect how quickly your body breaks down alcohol. But a healthy liver can break down about one ounce of pure alcohol per hour, which is about one standard drink.
Here’s the deal: not all drinks with alcohol are the same. You might not know that one drink can have a lot more alcohol than you think. That big glass of wine? It could easily have the same effect as two drinks. And yes, that matters a lot.
The more alcohol you consume, the longer your body needs to break it down. The result? A higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and stronger effects that last longer.
Several key factors influence how quickly alcohol is metabolized:
1. Age
As we age, our bodies undergo changes that can slow down alcohol metabolism. Reduced circulation and lower muscle mass mean alcohol isn’t processed or eliminated as efficiently.
2. Biological Sex
Women tend to feel alcohol’s effects more intensely than men, even at the same weight. That’s due to lower body water content, hormonal differences, and reduced levels of alcohol dehydrogenase — the liver enzyme that breaks alcohol down.
3. Body Weight
Body mass plays a major role. If someone lighter drinks the same amount as someone heavier, their BAC will be higher because alcohol is distributed through a smaller body volume.
4. Food Intake
Drinking on an empty stomach? That’s a fast track to getting drunk. Food slows down the absorption of alcohol in the stomach, so a full belly means alcohol enters your bloodstream more gradually.
5. Medications and Substances
Some medications and recreational drugs interfere with how your body processes alcohol. This can amplify effects, increase risk, or lead to unpredictable reactions — never a good mix.
6. Drinking Speed
Downing shots or chugging drinks overwhelms your liver’s ability to keep up. The faster you drink, the longer alcohol lingers in your system, and the stronger its effects become.
A rough guide
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
What about blood alcohol concentration?
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is very important for both how drunk you feel and whether or not you can legally drive.
BAC tells you how much alcohol is in your blood compared to how much water is in your blood. In short, it’s the scientific way to figure out how alcohol affects your ability to think clearly.
A BAC level of 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher is considered legally drunk in the United States. But here’s the truth: waiting until you reach that number isn’t a good or safe way to drive.
In fact, some European countries have set the legal BAC limit even lower, at 0.05 g/dL, because they know that people can be impaired long before the U.S. limit.
And here’s something that many people forget: your judgment, motor skills, and reaction time may already be impaired even if your blood alcohol content is below the legal limit. This implies that you are still vulnerable to legal repercussions in addition to the danger of harm.
A startling 1,878 people died in alcohol-related crashes in the United States in 2018 when drivers had blood alcohol content (BAC) levels below the legal limit, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
That serves as a sobering reminder that your ability to drive safely is more important than just your number.
Is there any way to give myself a sobriety test?
You won’t find a magic solution, app, or shortcut that provides you with a truly accurate answer if you’re wondering if there’s a trustworthy way to determine whether you’re sober enough to drive.
Your ability to drive after drinking cannot be reliably measured by even the most sophisticated smartphone apps. In actuality, self-testing is dangerous at worst and unreliable at best because alcohol impairs judgment and, once consumed, impairs one’s ability to evaluate one’s own sobriety.
Yes, a personal breathalyzer can provide you with a rough estimate of your blood alcohol content (BAC), and you may want to consider using one. The catch is that BAC is merely a number. Despite being technically below the legal limit
it doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive after drinking.
Everyone processes alcohol differently. What feels like “fine” to one person can be dangerously impaired for another. Your weight, what you ate, your tolerance, and even how tired you are — they all matter. And being legally sober doesn’t guarantee you’re safe behind the wheel.
Here’s the straightforward, empirically supported advice: Don’t drive after drinking. It’s simply not worth the risk, either to your life or the lives of other drivers, regardless of how alert you feel.
The wisest and safest decision? Make a plan in advance. Give your keys to a sober friend, use a ridesharing app, or call a cab. It’s a tiny choice that has life-saving potential.
Is there any way to sober up faster?
After a night out, are you wondering how to get sober more quickly? The fact is that you cannot.
We understand that you didn’t want to hear that.
Online advice abounds that promises quick sobriety miracles, such as cold showers or black coffee, but none of these approaches have scientific support. The hard truth? Your blood alcohol content (BAC) can only be reduced with time. Depending on their body weight, gender, age, diet, and general health, each person processes alcohol in a unique way.
So while you can’t magically snap out of drunkenness, here’s what you can do to stay in control next time:
Set a limit before you start drinking. Know your boundaries and stick to them.
Drink slowly. Sip your drinks instead of gulping, and switch between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
Choose low-alcohol options. Lighter drinks mean a lower BAC and more control.
Eat before and during drinking. A full stomach slows down alcohol absorption, helping your body cope better.
If you’re looking for a quick fix to sober up, the only real solution is patience. Give your body the time it needs to clear the alcohol. There’s no shortcut, no magic remedy — just time.
But the good news? With smart habits and mindful drinking, you can avoid ever needing to “sober up fast” in the first place.
FAQs
1. How long does alcohol affect your ability to drive?
Metabolism varies, but generally your liver processes one standard drink per hour. So:
1 shot of liquor ≈ 1 hour
1 pint of beer ≈ 2 hours
1 large glass of wine ≈ 3 hours
2. What factors influence how quickly alcohol leaves your system?
Several variables affect alcohol metabolism:
Age, sex, body weight
Whether you’ve eaten or not
Medications or other substances
How fast you drank
3. Can I test my own sobriety to decide if I can drive?
No reliable self-assessment exists. Your judgment is impaired by alcohol. You can use a breathalyzer for BAC, but a legal BAC doesn’t guarantee safe driving
4. Is there any way to sober up faster?
No—nothing besides time works. Common myths like coffee, cold showers, or exercise don’t reduce BAC. Only waiting does
5. Is driving safe right under the legal BAC limit?
Not necessarily. Even under the legal limit (0.08 g/dL in the U.S.), driving skills can be impaired. In 2018, 1,878 people died in crashes involving drivers with BACs below the legal limit
The Bottom Line
It is never safe to drive after drinking. Although alcohol gradually leaves the body, how long it takes varies depending on your weight, metabolism, sex, and amount of alcohol consumed. Your body can process one standard drink every hour on average, but it’s safest to wait a lot longer, especially if you’ve had several drinks.
The rate at which alcohol leaves your system is not accelerated by sleep, coffee, or cold showers. Don’t take the chance if you’re not sure if you’re sober enough to drive. Wait longer, use a breathalyzer, or make other travel arrangements. Driving while intoxicated can have deadly or life-altering effects on other drivers as well as you.
Stay put or call a ride if you’re unsure. Being safe is preferable.
