A RECENT survey brought a whole new meaning to the term 'wedding crashers'.
A study by insurance firm Privilege and pollsters YouGov found one third of wedding guests admitted to being over the limit when driving away from the reception.
One in every 100 grooms also admitted to drink-driving before they got to the altar on their wedding day, with a similar proportion saying they did the same after taking their vows.
No brides admitted to drink driving on the day of their marriage.
The legal limit for driving is 80 milligrammes of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood. But there is no failsafe guide as to how much you can drink and stay under the limit.
It can depend on many factors such as the amount and type of alcoholic drink, your weight, sex, age, food intake and metabolism.
Guests can also be lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to drink driving, deluding themselves into thinking they will be fine because they've had a meal and spread their alcoholic intake over a period of several hours.
But, as people are often over the limit the morning after the night before, even following a reasonable period of sleep, it's better to stay alcohol-free at a reception if you are having to drive.
And, if you do want to get into the spirit of things, then either leave the car at home and take a taxi, or book into the hotel or nearby accommodation so you can toast the happy couple with a clear conscience.
But too many people are ignoring this advice, with more than one in six guests in the survey having admitted to being around three times over the limit, drinking more than 10 units of alcohol - the equivalent of five pints of beer, 10 glasses of wine or 10 shots of spirits - before taking to their cars.
