Accidental criminals: Confused.com reveals a nation of drivers who don't know the drink-drive limit as we gear up for the festive season.
A study by Confused.com has discovered 14 per cent* of people will drink-drive this Christmas – with nearly a quarter of those admitting they don’t know how many units are in one drink and 22 per cent saying they don’t feel tipsy so it’s okay. 1 in 5 say they simply can’t be bothered to walk home.
A shocking 71 per cent of the UK admit they don’t know what the drink drive limit is, with 9 per cent guessing you could legally have 3 – 5 drinks before reaching the maximum and 4 per cent saying it depends on what or how much you have eaten beforehand.
In response to this Confused.com has developed an Alcohol Unit calculator to encourage awareness and moderation when it comes to alcohol consumption. The quick and easy calculator allows the user to select the drinks they would have on an average night and let the application work out how many units this equates to. It is available here, but is a rough guide only, and is NOT a substitute for common sense, none for the road being the best approach.
18 – 24 year olds are the most likely to drink-drive. Men are more likely to drink drive than women, with 10 per cent of women admitting they do, compared to 18% of men. Women are more aware of how many units they are drinking with 10 per cent more men than women saying they don’t know how many units are in a drink.
Will Thomas, the head of motor says: “My advice is to not drink at all if driving. Without taking into account the devastating toll paid in terms of injury, death, a driving ban or prison time, a drink-driving offence can more than double a driver’s premium or prevent them from being able to obtain insurance at all.
Will continues; "If the worst has already happened, and a person finds themselves with a conviction, then it's important they shop around to make sure they're getting the best deal on their car insurance. The hike will vary from insurer to insurer and they may find they're able to save money by comparing all the options available to them."
*Research conducted by Onepoll – Dec 2010 – 2000 respondents
For full results please contact the press office.
The safest bet is always to not drive if you have drunk any alcohol, but you can work out how many units your drinks contain with our alcohol units calculator:
