Can any food put me over the drink-driving limit? These are the popular treats that could put you at risk
EVERYONE has heard the tales of motorists being over the drink-driving limit after indulging in a hearty Christmas cake or tiramisu.
But can food actually put you a risk of a DUI charge or is it simply a myth?
The truth is, while plenty of foods do contain alcohol, most only have a very small amount.
So for that alone to push you over the limit, you would have to overindulge to an extreme level - or be participating in some kind of bizarre eating challenge.
But the biggest danger for drivers is consuming alcoholic foods alongside a drink or two.
A study conducted by set out to find just how much fermented food you would have to eat to land you in trouble during a roadside breath test, based on an estimated limit of 3.5 units of alcohol.
How much of these alcoholic foods would I need to eat to potentially put me over the drink-drive limit?
The following measures of alcohol-rich foods contain approximately 3.5 units of alcohol - but you'll need to stuff your face, as long as you aren't drinking alcohol as well:
- 2 tiramisus
- 5.5 servings of Christmas cake
- 1 cherry trifle
- 4 servings of peppercorn sauce
- 9 portions of chicken marsala
- 58 packets of olives
- 850 alcohol-filled chocolates
It found motorists would have to scoff a whopping two whole tiramisus or one whole cherry trifle for dessert to blow a negative roadside test.
And five and a half servings of Christmas cake would also see you consume a similar amount of alcohol as two mid-strength beers.
As far as the other foods go, there's virtually no chance anyone would be able to eat 58 packets of olives or 850 chocolate liqueurs, so they aren't really an issue.
But Sun Motors has crunched the numbers to find out what combination of alcohol and these foods could realistically put you at risk of a drink-driving charge.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH How many alcohol units can you legally drink before driving and what is the UK drink-drive limit?
For a Christmas Cake soaked in brandy, just one and a half standard servings would be equal to one unit of alcohol.
So if you enjoyed a single pint of beer or glass of wine (2.3 units approx.) alongside a hefty helping, you could be very close to the legal limit.
One serving of a cherry trifle has more than half a unit of alcohol, while a serving of tiramisu has around a quarter.
And while this might seem like a low amount, enjoying the average maximum 1.5-2 alcoholic beverages with your dessert would put you in the breath test red zone.
Food and alcohol: which combinations could put me over the limit?
Drinking the maximum recommended number of alcoholic beverages while eating these popular desserts could put you over the drink-driving limit:
- One serving of Christmas cake (0.65 alcoholic units) + 1.5 pints of mid-strength beer or 1.5 glasses of wine (3.4 alcoholic units) = Over the limit
- One serving of cherry trifle (0.5 alcoholic units) + 1.5 pints of mid-strength beer or 1.5 glasses of wine (3.4 alcoholic units) = Over the limit
- One serving of tiramisu (0.25 alcoholic units) + 1.5 pints of mid-strength beer or 1.5 glasses of wine (3.4 alcoholic units) = Most likely over the limit
So if you plan on helping yourself to a large slice of Christmas cake this festive season, make sure you haven't had anything alcoholic to drink, or you could land yourself in trouble if you get behind the wheel.
It's important to note, the study sets the average drink-drive limit at 3.5 units of alcohol - equal to approximately 1.5 to 2 pints of regular-strength lager or 1.5 to 2 glasses of wine.
Realistically, the legal drink-drive limit cannot be safely converted into a certain number of units, as it depends on a number of factors such as gender, body mass and how quickly your body absorbs alcohol.
The alcohol limit for England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, while drivers in Scotland are allowed just 22 micrograms for the same reading.
the road laws you need to know
Drivers risk up to six months imprisonment, an unlimited fine and a lengthy driving ban as a maximum penalty if they are caught driving while above the legal limit.
Drunk drivers that cause a death while behind the wheel could face a life sentence.
Earlier this month, we revealed the tricks motorists use to try cover up drink-driving - but none of them work.