Valentine’s Day 2016

Many of us across the world celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day on 14 February. In fact, statistics show that there is an exchange of approximately 150 million Valentine’s Day cards each year.

If you are pushing the boat out then add in flowers, gifts, breaks away, and a romantic meal out. It is the latter that could see your romantic vision turn into a nightmare if you fail to plan ahead. We’ll get onto that later…

The day has been named Valentine’s Day after Saint Valentine. Many people believe that Saint Valentine was a priest dating back to the third century from Rome.

Marriage had been banned and this was something that Saint Valentine did not agree with, so he secretly arranged marriages.

He was eventually found out, jailed and sentenced to death.

Whilst in jail, Saint Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and was executed on February 14.

Valentine’s Day goes back to the middle ages and is thought to have been a Roman festival. The festival was originally named Lupercalia and took place mid-February.

At the festival boys would draw the names of girls out of a box. The lucky couples would then be expected to be together throughout the festival and some would even go as far as marrying after the festival.

After some time, Valentine’s Day was recognised by the church and since then has been known as a Christian festival.

Back to the connection between the festival of love and motoring law. Whether it is a bottle of bubbly or a meal with cocktails or an expensive bottle of wine that is your idea of impressing your loved one, you would be best to also show your thoughtfulness by ensuring that transport arrangements are also taken care of.

Even then, remember you could still be over the legal alcohol limit the following day.

The legal limit for alcohol is 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath.

Recent research taken place by road safety charity, Brake, have found that one in five drivers admit to driving the morning after the night before. So what do you do to be certain that you are safe to drive? Stay away from the steering wheel if hungover, even if you think your alcohol levels have reduced back to the legal limit. Whilst not a fool-proof strategy, you could use a self-testing kit to check your own alcohol level before driving the next day.

Chance it in love by all means, but do not take any chances in getting behind the wheel of a car the morning after the night before!

However you choose to spend your Valentine’s Day, from all of us at Geoffrey Miller Solicitors we wish you a day filled with love and romance (and safe transportation!)