Research shows that the period between December 14 and the New Year is the most hungover time of the year. As the phrase suggests, this period is when many people experience terrible hangovers after a night of fun—including one too many drinks.
The study goes on further to reveal that while we all know that driving while under the influence of alcohol is fatal, driving while still hungover can be just as bad. Symptoms may be many but the most common are hypersensitivity to light and sound, feelings of dizziness, heaviness, and a throbbing headache. And of course, one’s reflexes are just as slow.
The problem with a hangover, experts note, is that one doesn’t know how long it will last. It can be as quick as a few hours or go on until the next day. Thus, hungover, often sleep deprived individuals, are not advised to get behind the wheel just yet.
To prove its point, Ford Philippines, together with parent company Ford Motor Company, puts forward The Hangover Suit. This suit consists of a pair of goggles, a cap, vest, wrist and ankle weights, and a pair of headphones. What these do is simulate the feelings of dizziness, fatigue, that pounding headache, and difficulty concentrating.
Ford Philippines, meanwhile, takes the Meyer Hentschel Institute of Germany innovation a step further with the Fatal Vision Goggles. This one shows the effects of drunk driving on one’s vision, alertness level, and concentration—or lack thereof. Used during the Ford Driving Skills for Life training program, the Fatal Vision Goggles hopes to drive home the point that driving and alcohol do not mix.
Yes, it’s okay to party. But remember to always be responsible enough to never drink and drive. And the same goes for when you feel that you’re still hungover from having one too many the night before. Because as cliché as it sounds, the life you save could be your own.
