- Nearly 3 in 10 (28%) have driven after Christmas drinks and still felt over the limit the same day, or the morning after.
- New research shows UK drivers feel comfortable driving after 2 drinks, on average. Although 14% said they’ve had 3 or more before jumping behind the wheel.
- Drink driving offences could worsen in the coming weeks, as 7 in 10 (70%) are expecting to drink over the festive period this year.
- With Christmas around the corner, Confused.com has created a morning after calculator for drivers to get a rough estimate of whether it’s unsafe for them to drive the morning after drinking.
More than 9 million UK motorists1 admit to driving over the limit the morning after drinking during the festive period.
That’s as 22% admit to driving the morning after Christmas drinks. While a further 1 in 10 (14%) admit to driving over the limit the same day they’ve been drinking during festive celebrations.
As Christmas gets closer, more people will be looking to celebrate and make the most of the festivities. With work parties and gatherings with family and friends in full swing, drink driving could become more of an issue on UK roads. 29% of those celebrating at Christmas drinks plan to drive the morning after. That’s according to new research from Confused.com car insurance.
With the average UK driver typically having 2 alcoholic drinks before driving, the research found that 7 in 10 (70%) Brits are likely to drink over the festive period this year. Worryingly, nearly 1 in 7 (14%) admit they’ve had 3 or more drinks before getting behind the wheel.
Though, it’s just not just the night of celebrations when people are most at risk. The research also found that nearly 3 in 10 (28%) UK drivers have driven after Christmas drinks while feeling over the limit - both on the day and the morning after.
Many drivers don’t realise that they’re over the limit and are unsafe to drive, even if they feel capable. Common reasons for driving under the influence of alcohol include feeling confident in their driving ability (26%), while a third (33%) drove because they had eaten beforehand.
Given the dangerous nature of driving under the influence, and potential risk it poses on other road users, it is an offence that carries a heavy penalty. Those caught could face a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban, or up to 3 months imprisonment2.
This is why there are legal limits in place for drivers. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the limit per 100ml of breath is 35mg. In Scotland, it is 22mg3.
However, as everyone has different tolerance levels, it’s hard to put a concrete number on how much alcohol people can drink. Not only is this dangerous for the driver, but it also puts passengers, other road users, and pedestrians at risk. That’s why drink driving should be avoided altogether.
With different tolerances comes different drink preferences. According to the research, drivers feel more comfortable behind the wheel after certain alcoholic drinks.
Over 4 in 10 (41%) drivers would feel comfortable driving after drinking wine. That’s compared to nearly a third (32%) who would be happy to drive after a lager, followed by just over a fifth (21%) who would each drive after drinking a shandy or cider.
Many Brits will be making the most of the merriment over the Christmas period, enjoying drinks with loved ones, colleagues, or by themselves. The most popular places people will be drinking over the festive period are at the pub (45%), with half (50%) drinking at their family’s home, and over 8 in 10 (81%) drinking at home.
As people don’t leave much time between drinking and leaving a festive event, those who are driving and drinking need to closely monitor their intake. That’s as nearly a fifth (16%) would drive home after attending festive plans where alcohol is involved. Nearly 3 in 10 (29%) 25-34 year olds would opt for this way home.
However, there are other popular ways of getting home after drinking. Over 4 in 10 would each opt for a lift with friends or family (47%), get a taxi (44%), or walk(42%) home, avoiding getting behind the wheel altogether.
When driving, it’s important to note how long it takes to process alcohol to ensure you’re safe behind the wheel. A breathalyser can detect alcohol on the breath for approximately 12 to 14 hours after your last drink4.
It’s easy to think that after sleeping off the night before you’d be fine to get behind the wheel. Though, that’s not strictly true. To help drivers keep the roads safe, Confused.com has created a morning after calculator to give drivers a rough estimate of whether it’s unsafe to drive the morning after drinking.
The calculator highlights how long alcohol can remain in your system, taking into account the units drunk, the time you stopped drinking and whether you may still be unsafe to drive.
Rhydian Jones, motoring expert at Confused.com comments,
"Social events are rife at Christmas time. From work parties, festive drinks, and gatherings with family and friends, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the festive season with loved ones.
“With this comes a higher risk of drink driving as more people claim to feel comfortable behind the wheel after a few drinks. Not only is this dangerous to yourself but it can severely impact others on and off the roads.
“Even if you feel fine the morning after you could still have too much alcohol in your system to get behind the wheel. That’s why we’ve created a morning after calculator to highlight whether it’s unsafe to drive the morning after drinking based on your alcohol intake the night before.
“To avoid driving over the limit, you should consider other means of travel if you need to be somewhere the morning after a heavy night. Other alternatives include looking at public transport options, carsharing with friends or family who don’t have alcohol in their system, and even walking if close enough - the fresh air would do wonders for a cloudy head too!”
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