Fire and Rescue Service issue World Cup drink-drive warning
People are also being encouraged to recognise that they may well be over the legal drink-drive limit the morning after an evening of consuming alcohol.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service road safety experts want those who are planning to drink alcohol whilst out watching the tournament to use a taxi to get them home or to appoint a designated non-drinking driver.
The games at the tournament in Brazil, which runs from 12 June to 13 July, all kick off at varying times in the evening and night.
Don't get caught out
Mick Clarke, Oxfordshire County Council's Fire and Rescue Service's Road Safety Manager, said: "I would like everybody to enjoy the festival of football that is the World Cup, but I also want to remind people the effects alcohol can have on a person's reaction times and general awareness and therefore why people should never, ever drink and drive.
"The games all begin in the evening or small hours, times when people tend to drink more alcohol compared to other parts of the day.
"It makes great sense to leave the car keys at home if people are planning on drinking whilst they are out and watching the football and also to organise an alternative way of getting home, whether that be via a taxi, a bus or by having a designated non-drinker in your party who can do the drive home.
"It is also essential that people know that the effects of alcohol can still last into morning after a drinking session and it is vital not to get caught out if people plan to drive to work or take the children to school.
"There are myths about how drinking coffee, sleeping or taking a shower can reduce the effects of alcohol on a person's body: these simply are not true. Time is the only way of getting alcohol of the body."
Alcohol levels in drinks
The effect on a person of consuming alcohol varies, but on average it takes about an hour for the human body to rid itself of each unit of alcohol, starting from the time that the final drink has been finished.
- On average, consuming three 15% alcohol 250ml glasses of wine could mean people would not be safe to drive for 13 hours after finishing their last drink
- Four pints of 5% alcohol beer or lager on average may mean that a person is not safe to drive for 13 hours after finishing their last drink
- Three 70ml 40% shots of a spirit consumed may mean on average that a person would not be safe to drive for eight-and-a-half hours after finishing their last drink
365alive
Those unsure about how long it may take for alcohol to leave the body can find out more via the drinks clock website or by viewing the 365alive drink-driving awareness page. 365alive is a Oxfordshire Fire and rescue initiative designed to make the county safer via education and preventative work.