Insurer finds 744,000 drivers will be over the limit when they drive this Christmas

Coop InsuranceAn alarming 744,000 drivers think that they will be over the legal alcohol limit when they get behind the wheel this festive season, according to research carried out by The Co-op Insurance.

Of the 2,000 drivers questioned, 10 per cent said that they would be having at least one alcoholic drink per night out over the festive period with nearly a fifth (18 per cent) admitting to thinking that they would be over the legal drink drive limit when they take to the roads.

Despite years of widespread anti drink driving campaigning, the main reason these people are planning to do this is because they believe ‘that it won’t harm anyone’ (31 per cent).

A fifth admit to drink driving being something that they have done before. Nearly half (49 per cent) of drivers who are having at least one drink will be carrying passengers, and are most likely to have their partners and children in the car.



The top ten list of excuses from those planning to drink drive are as follows:

1 It won’t harm anyone 31 per cent

2 A taxi is too expensive 28 per cent

3 I don’t want to walk home 25 per cent

4 I’ve done it before 20 per cent

5 The roads will be quiet when I drive 18 per cent

6 Alcohol doesn’t affect me 18 per cent

7 I can handle my drink 13 per cent

8 Alcohol doesn’t affect my driving 10 per cent

9 Because I know other people who do this (drinkand drive) 7 per cent

10 I don’t want to rely on anyone else 7 per cent

Despite this, 80 per cent of those who believe they will be over the drink drive limit when they drive, rely on their car for work – either to get to/from or actually use for work purposes.

The findings have also revealed that driver’s attitudes about driving the day after a heavy night out isn’t much better. Nearly half (48 per cent) of drivers don’t believe that they would be under legal alcohol limits to drive after a festive night out. Shockingly, however, over a quarter (26 per cent) are driving around within a few hours of waking up after a night out.

More Welsh drivers (27 per cent) expect to be over the limit behind the wheel this Christmas than in any other region. This is followed by drivers in London (24 per cent), the South East (23 per cent), the West Midlands (23 per cent) and the South West (17 per cent). 16 per cent of drivers also expect to take to the roads under the influence in Yorkshire and Scotland, 13 per cent in the North West and 8 per cent in the East Midlands.

The research has also revealed that residential streets will be mostly used (45 per cent) by drivers who plan to have at least one drink over the festive period to get home. On average, drivers will travel five miles to get home after a festive get-together.

A third of drivers (33 per cent) try to lessen the effects of alcohol by reaching for food before they drive. However as the Drink Aware website states: “Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your ability to drive so the only safe advice is to avoid any alcohol if you are driving.”

Rather than trying to lessen the effects of alcohol, The Co-op Insurance is urging people to designate a driver over the festive period to try to lessen the risks on the roads.

Nick Ansley, Head of Motor Insurance at The Co-op, said: “The fact that over 740,000 drivers believe that they are going to be over the limit when they drive this Christmas is not only shocking but inexcusable.

“The effect of drink driving is far reaching and can have devastating consequences for the drivers themselves, their passengers, other road users and their communities.

“We are urging people to designate a driver this Christmas to ensure that everyone gets home safely.”

Over a tenth (11 per cent) of people argue about who will drive over the Christmas period with the job often falling to Mum (17 per cent) or Dad (19 per cent).

Whilst many designated drivers (24 per cent) are indifferent to their alcohol fuelled passengers it does seem happiness could be contagious with 18 per cent of designated drivers feeling happy to be ferrying people home.

That said, one in ten (11 per cent) designated drivers get annoyed at their passengers, whilst 9 per cent say they feel like they don’t want to drink again because of their merry passengers.

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