Admits Drunk Driving on SNS and Posts Apology
Causes Accident Driving Hungover After Drinking Until Dawn
Former professional baseball pitcher Jang Won-sam (41), who was caught by the police after causing a minor accident while driving under the influence in broad daylight, admitted to driving with a hangover and apologized. On the 18th, Jang Won-sam stated through his social media (SNS), "It is true that I caused a minor accident while driving under the influence as reported," adding, "There is no excuse. I sincerely apologize for disappointing everyone."
Former professional baseball pitcher Jang Won-sam (41), who was caught by the police for causing a minor accident while driving under the influence in broad daylight, admitted to driving with a hangover and apologized. On the 18th, Jang Won-sam stated through his social media service (SNS), "It is true that I caused a minor accident while driving under the influence as reported," and added, "There is no excuse." [Photo by Jang Won-sam Instagram]
Jang Won-sam said, "I did not drink alcohol on the day of the accident," but also admitted, "If I still had a hangover, I should not have driven or should have used public transportation, but I drove with the careless thought that 'I drank the day before, not the day of, and I had enough sleep, so it would be okay.'" Regarding the accident, Jang explained that he started drinking late with acquaintances in Changwon, Gyeongnam, on the day before the accident, the 16th, and after having drinks until the third round, he took a taxi home at 3:37 a.m. the next day. Later that day, around noon, he drove out of his house to attend a meeting and caused the minor accident.
Jang Won-sam also expressed his intention to voluntarily withdraw from the JTBC entertainment show "The Strongest Baseball," in which he is currently appearing. He wrote, "It is right to take responsibility by voluntarily stepping down," and apologized, "I am truly sorry for causing harm and concern to the person involved in the accident, their family, acquaintances, fans, and all the broadcasting staff, directors, and players currently involved in the show."
He continued, "I will admit my fault without any lies and reflect sincerely during the police investigation scheduled for next week," adding, "I wanted to post an apology sooner, but having spent my whole life in sports, I didn’t know how to handle this alone and was very scared." Earlier, on the 17th around 1 p.m., Jang collided with a vehicle coming from behind while reversing in the first left-turn lane on a road in Gwang-an-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan. The police who arrived at the scene measured Jang’s blood alcohol concentration, which was reportedly at a level warranting license cancellation.
How long after drinking is it safe to drive?
Driving with a hangover refers to driving the day after drinking alcohol while still feeling its effects. The criterion for determining whether it is drunk driving or hangover driving is the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Therefore, factors such as the timing of drinking or whether one has a hangover cannot be used as criteria to distinguish drunk driving. According to current Road Traffic Act regulations, driving with a BAC of 0.03% or higher is defined as drunk driving.
To avoid hangover driving, it is best not to drive at least until the next morning after drinking. According to the Widmark formula, which estimates BAC elimination time, it takes about 4 hours and 47 minutes for a man weighing 60 kg to metabolize the amount of alcohol in one bottle of soju, and about 6 hours for a woman. However, this does not mean it is safe to drive immediately after 4 hours and 47 minutes for men or 6 hours for women. Various confounding factors such as the amount of alcohol consumed, type of drink, and individual metabolism cannot be ignored. This experiment was based on one bottle of soju, which differs from the amount people usually drink. Also, the time it takes to metabolize alcohol varies by individual, so official guidelines should not be blindly trusted.
In fact, there was a case where a person drank one bottle of soju in the evening, slept for 8 hours, and then drove, but was caught for drunk driving with a BAC of 0.056%. Because alcohol metabolism varies greatly among individuals, experts advise that if you drank alcohol in the evening, you should not drive until the next morning.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
