“I’ve only had one drink” is the most common drink drive excuse, with a shocking six out of 10 drivers having heard someone use it.
Other frequently heard excuses include having eaten food to soak up the alcohol or only driving down the road. The results come from an AA Charitable Trust survey* released this week as many people begin the Christmas party season in earnest.
The most common justifications heard that drivers give for drink driving are:
- I’ve only had one drink (62%)
- I’ve had food so that will soak the alcohol up (41%)
- It’s only down the road (40%)
- It’s been a while since the last drink (31%)
- I won’t get caught (18%)
- There won’t be any other traffic around (16%)
- I know the route well (14%)
“We need drivers to hang up these excuses for good. Drinking and driving simply do not mix – if you are doing one, then you shouldn’t do the other.”
Young drivers (aged 18-to-24) were the most likely to have heard someone use the excuse “it’s only down the road” (55%). They were also almost twice as likely (22%;14%) as older drivers to say they had heard someone justify drink driving because they “knew the route well”.
Drivers in Wales were most likely to have heard someone justify drink driving because they “won’t get caught” (23%).
The latest official estimates show 260 people died as a result of a drink-drive crash in 2021 – almost a fifth (17%) of all fatalities.**
Edmund King, Director of The AA Charitable Trust, said: “Just one drink can be enough to put you over the drink-drive limit, and even if you are within the limit, it can still affect your judgement and ability to drive safely.
“We need drivers to hang up these excuses for good. Drinking and driving simply do not mix – if you are doing one, then you shouldn’t do the other.
“Drivers risk more than just a fine or losing their licence when they drink drive. Every year hundreds of people needlessly die on our roads because of drunk drivers.
“Everyone wants to enjoy Christmas – don’t let your ‘only one’ drink be your last.”
A drink driving conviction can result in up to 14 years imprisonment, an unlimited fine and disqualification from driving for two years.
For more information about drink drive laws visit: The dangers of drink driving and the law | The AA
*AA Yonder poll of 12,197 AA members November 2023
**Reported drinking and driving: data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)