Curb Drink Driving

HIGH PROFILE CAMPAIGNS FAIL TO CURB DRINK DRIVING

22nd May 2005

Almost four million drink drivers are set to hit the roads this summer

Anti drink driving messages are failing to hit home as the nation’s drivers are still taking to the roads after drinking over the legal limits.

New research from safe driver champion Privilege Car Insurance released today indicates that a quarter (23 per cent) of drivers claim to drive after drinking above the legal limit.

This indicates that nationally over 7 million Brits could be regularly taking the wheel under the influence and one in ten (12 per cent) plan to hit the roads this summer. One in twenty (4 per cent) admit they have driven after drinking over 10 units of alcohol – which equates to over five pints of beer.

Personal comfort beats safety it seems, when it comes to drink driving. An eighth (12 per cent) of drivers quizzed by Privilege prefer to drink and drive their own cars than take public transport and ....cont/

one in ten drive as it is cheaper than taking a taxi. Worryingly, 12 per cent still consider themselves to be safe drivers, even if they’ve had a drink.

It’s socialising that is tempting drivers to drive after drinking, the Privilege survey indicates. Social events, such as dinner with friends, are to blame for 58 per cent of drivers taking to the roads after a drink, followed by family events like weddings (12 per cent) and work nights out (9 per cent).

The research suggests that the regularity of the phenomenon is alarming. A fifth (20 per cent) of motorists have driven under the influence within the last two weeks, over a fifth (22 per cent) drink drive at least once a month, and almost a sixth (14 per cent) have taken to the road following a drink over a hundred times in their lifetime.

But it’s not just drivers who are to blame for irresponsible motoring - passengers are an influencing factor too. Over half (54 per cent) of passengers surveyed by Privilege admit they’ve bought ....cont/

Passion for Cars
10/02/2006 British drivers are concreting over their front lawns to make room for their ever-increasing collection of cars, according to research out today from Direct Line. Close to nine in 10 (85 per cent) households own a car with...read more

their designated driver an alcoholic beverage knowing full well that they were driving, and 15 per cent admit to turning a blind eye to the driver’s drinking.

Drivers in the North West of England are the most likely to drink and drive the Privilege research reveals, while those in the Midlands are least likely to take to the roads under the influence.

Ian Parker, Managing Director of Privilege Insurance commented on the findings:

“The research findings reveal that drink driving is still a serious problem in the UK. Many drivers don’t realise the danger of driving under the influence of alcohol – even one pint of beer can lead to impaired judgement on the roads and motor accidents.

“We urge drivers to consider alternative methods of transport home if they have been drinking. Although they may feel that they are able to control a car, drinking can produce slower reaction times, loss of concentration, loss of spatial awareness and blurry...cont/

New Year surfers
(05 January 2005) Some internet users in the UK are so keen on managing their lives online that they didn't even pause to see in the New Year, according to statistics from internet insurer, esure. Esure's internet logs for the Christmas and...read more

vision."

Privilege specialises in offering highly competitive insurance for safe drivers, with a guarantee to beat renewal quotes for any driver with 4 years + no claims discount. For a competitive Privilege quote, telephone 0845 246 8336 or visit Privilege Car Insurance

Notes:

1. YouGov interviewed 1936 people online between 8th to 10th March 2005. Results were weighted to be representative of the GB population. According to the National Office of statistics, the GB population over 17 is 46,411,889. From our questionnaire, 69 per cent drive a car, van or lorry on the roads, giving a driving population of 32,024,203. Of these, 12 per cent are most likely to drive their car after consuming an alcoholic drink in the summer months – June, July, August and September, giving a total of 3,842,904.

This news story applies to England, Scotland & Wales only.

Privilege Car Insurance