Zero tolerance on drink driving over festive period

Members of the public and young people in particular are being urged to take a zero tolerance approach to drink-driving this festive season to help prevent devastating Christmas tragedies.

A survey of young drivers, released by Brake and Direct Line, finds three in ten (29%) are willing to take the deadly gamble of driving after drinking alcohol. An even bigger proportion – a majority of 53%, up from 45% four years ago – risk driving drunk the day after a heavy night, suggesting widespread complacency about how long alcohol stays in your system.

Many young drivers also wrongly believe they can get away with drinking several drinks before their driving is affected. While the majority (62%) understand that even one unit affects driving, one in eight (12%) believe they can consume three or more units and still drive safely.

The survey suggests the drink drive message is getting through to most young drivers, with far fewer admitting driving after drinking than four years ago (29% compared to 44% in 2007), and a smaller proportion of young drivers admitting this than older drivers (29% compared to 36% of older drivers). However, Brake is warning that too many young drivers are continuing to risk their own lives and others by driving after drinking, and this age group remains most likely to fail a breath test following a crash.

Brake is also calling on government to adopt zero tolerance policies on drink driving, including a much lower drink drive limit and increased powers for police to carry out random, targeted testing.