Please…Drink and Drive

Yes, you read the title correctly. Please drink and drive. With the holidays only a couple weeks in front of us, there will inevitably be lots of driving to visit family and friends. You’ll possibly even take on some distant driving. Drinking will be important to get you through, but not just any ole drink.

What to drink? WATER. You’ve probably heard me discuss at one time or another that you should drink water often with the goal of drinking half of your body weight in ounces daily. That amount varies based on your personal health conditions, but it’s a good rule of thumb. I want to encourage you to drink water especially while you drive. And by the way, this is the ONLY drinking and driving that I recommend.

Why? Well, a new scientific study from Loughborough University highlights an unrecognized danger. They found that being dehydrated can cause just as many driving mistakes as being intoxicated. Seriously! Who knew? The study showed that mistakes such as drifting across lanes, delayed response time, and lingering eye movement were detected. And – believe it or not, even mild dehydration reduces the volume of blood that pumps through your body and can leave you feeling really tired, disoriented, and not as attentive as when hydrated effectively. Dehydration can also make you more susceptible to “road rage” as it can change your mood on a dime. The study showed that dehydration counted for the same mistakes as someone who had consumed the legal limits of alcohol. WOW!

Now, I know what you’re thinking….”if I drink a lot of water I’ll have to pull over and go to the bathroom every 5 minutes.” Well, don’t worry about how many times you need to pull over for a potty break and let’s get real…every 5 minutes seems a little exaggerated, don’t ya think? Ok friends…Stay hydrated, stay alert, and stay safe so you can enjoy time spent with loved ones this holiday season.