It being the time of year for seasonal festivities it is not surprising that someone has come up with research into hangovers. Particularly in respect of ability to drive while suffering from one.

I suppose the best place to go for such research is among university students, and that is just what Brunel University have done. Although the sample group tested was unusually small, the results were remarkably uniform. A poor night’s sleep, low blood sugar and dehydration all markedly affect the ability to drive safely even if someone is within the drink-drive limit, the study found.

Eleven students were tested on a driving simulator while sober and again while suffering a hangover, though within the legal limit of alcohol in the blood. The two tests were compared and it was found that, on average, hungover drivers drove almost 10mph faster, left their lane four times as often and committed double the number of traffic violations like ignoring red lights or stop signs. The average speed for the sober test was 32.6mph which rose to 41.7mph while hungover. Sober drivers travelled 6.3% of the five-mile trip above the speed limit which rose to 26% while hungover. Traffic violations rose from an average of 3.9 for sober drivers to 8.5 for hungover drivers. Several representatives of the motoring press, including the Telegraph and Independent, replicated the tests and their results were universally similar to the test group. The Mail’s Sharon Marshall found the results “horribly real. It’s clear I am in no fit state to drive The terrifying thing is I would have passed a breathalyser test.”

The research was sponsored by insurers RSA. Their spokesman, Graham Johnston, said “What surprised us was that people were driving faster. The fact they were driving more erratically we’d expect. Not taking care, going through red lights, that’s more alarming.” He added “You may be legal, but be aware that anything that makes the driver less alert will make them a worse driver.” The message comes through loud and clear; driving the morning after is not a good thing to do.