Uncertainty on what qualifies as ‘drink driving’ has led to 40 per cent of motorists calling for a total ban on drinking before driving.
With a study from Direct Line Car Insurance revealing that 45 per cent of motorists admit to having driven after drinking some alcohol – and 1.3million motorists (4 per cent) doing so ‘frequently’ – confusion as to what constitutes putting them ‘over the limit’ is potentially placing both them and other road users at risk of a serious accident.
The confusion over how much alcohol is ‘safe’ to drink before driving, arises from the fact that alcohol intake is measured in units, whilst the drink drive limit is measured by alcohol content within the blood. The blood alcohol level can be affected by such factors as an individual’s size, weight and metabolism – meaning that there is no uniform measure.
The study also reveals that 34 per cent of motorists don’t know how many units of alcohol are in an average strength pint of beer or how that may affect their blood alcohol level, whilst 49 per cent are ignorant of the potency and effects of a large glass of wine. This confusion could result in ‘going out for a couple of drinks’ leading to a motoring conviction, an increased car insurance premium or, in a worst-case scenario, a serious road accident.
Tony Chilcott, Head of Car Insurance Direct Line, comments: “Findings from our study make worrying reading. If an average sized female motorist drinks two large glasses of wine during an evening out, then that is the equivalent of two thirds of a bottle of wine. Whilst she may then feel ‘fine’ and wrongly assume that she has only had two units of alcohol, should she then drive home, she is extremely likely to be over the drink drive limit – breaking the law and putting her life and others at risk. It is this uncertainty that many motorists want to end by banning all drinking before driving.”
Despite going out with good intentions and not planning to drink, many motorists find themselves led astray during evenings out, with 40 per cent driving home after drinking some alcohol. Of these, nearly a quarter (22 per cent), bowed to ‘beer pressure’ and joined in with their mates on a night out on the tiles. Nearly a quarter of people (22 per cent) have travelled as a passenger in a car when they believed the motorist was over the drink-drive limit.
