Can You Drive the Day After Drinking Baijiu?
3 Answers
It is not recommended to drive the day after drinking baijiu, as it depends on whether there is still alcohol residue in your body. The specific explanations regarding drunk driving are as follows: Drunk Driving Standards: Drunk driving is not a subjective judgment. Methods like smelling for alcohol or observing if someone walks straight are unreliable. Professional instruments, such as breathalyzers, must be used to determine drunk driving. Driving under the influence refers to a driver's blood alcohol content (BAC) being equal to or greater than 20mg/100ml but less than 80mg/100ml. Alcohol Metabolism Time: Generally, adults metabolize alcohol at a rate of 10-15 milliliters per hour. It takes at least 10 hours for alcohol to be completely degraded and undetectable in the body. The safest approach is to wait more than 20 hours to allow sufficient time for the body to metabolize the alcohol.
I've been driving for over ten years and have seen many unfortunate incidents caused by driving the day after drinking baijiu. Even if you feel sober the next day, alcohol still lingers in your system. Baijiu has a high alcohol concentration—just one bottle of 50-proof can push your blood alcohol level over the legal limit. The law states that exceeding 20mg/100ml is illegal, and if caught, you could face a 2,000-yuan fine, 12-point deduction, or even have your license revoked or face detention. More importantly, impaired reactions can lead to accidents that harm both yourself and others. Don't take the risk—wait at least 24 hours before driving, or simply use a ride-hailing app for safety. Remember, safe driving isn’t just for others; it’s for yourself too.
From a health perspective, the body metabolizes baijiu very slowly after consumption. Each person's alcohol metabolism rate varies, averaging only 10 to 15 milligrams per hour. If you drank two glasses of baijiu the night before, only half of the alcohol may have been eliminated by the next morning. Driving in this state can easily lead to fatigue, blurred vision, and impaired judgment, increasing the risk of collisions. I recommend drinking plenty of water after consumption to aid metabolism, but you should wait at least 12 hours before getting behind the wheel. It's best to use a breathalyzer to check; only proceed if the concentration is below the legal limit. Don't rely too much on feelings—physiological indicators are the most reliable.
