Car insurance premiums could fall after the publication of a new myth-busting guide designed to combat common misconceptions about being caught drink driving.
The advice, issued by Alco Sense, comes on the back of the prosecution of rugby legend JPR Williams for drink driving. The star had placed a copper coin underneath his tongue in the belief that this would lower his breathalyser rating.
It has warned that many of the techniques people claim will help them to lower their risk of being caught drinking while driving, which raises Car insurance premiums for all road users, are false.
Among the most famous of these old wives' tales is the fact that strong coffee can help people to sober up and keep alert, but the company warns that caffeine is unable to restore their judgements.
While drinking lots of water is also a misconception, there is some truth in the fact that larger people can sometimes consume more alcohol but the group warns that this is unpredictable and depends on the amount of food eaten, how well rested the drinker is and the person's individual metabolism.
Copper coins and breath spray are both well-known tricks, but neither actually reduces the risk of being caught - in fact, the strong concentration of mint in the latter can actually raise the risk of a false positive being recorded.
Hyperventilating before the test is difficult to actually perform, as the police take steps to prevent it, while holding one's breath before being breathalysed increases the concentration of alcohol in the air of the lungs.
It adds that trying to burp the gases from the stomach out is equally unhelpful, as it leads any alcohol fumes in the stomach to remain in the soft tissue of the oesophagus and oral cavity where it can be easily detected.
Another Car insurance pitfall that drivers have been warned to avoid is the practice of 'fronting'. This is where people give false information about who the main driver of a vehicle is in order to drive down premiums. Recent research by the Motor Insurers' Bureau found that, if an owner has used this practice, insurers are legally able to refuse to pay out.
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