Summer drink-drive warning

With drinks company Pernod Ricard UK, the AA is launching a summer anti-drink-drive campaign targeting these young drivers.

The campaign will focus on social media with warnings about drink-drive dangers appearing on Facebook and other sites.

Visit **www.acceptresponsibility.org.uk to find out more about the campaign.**

• UK Government central information website www.direct.gov.uk
• The AA www.theaa.com/motoringadvice/legal-advice/drink-driving.html
• Department of Health www.dh.gov.uk
• Institute of Alcohol Studies www.ias.org.uk
• British Medical Association www.bma.org.uk

• Drink Aware www.drinkaware.co.uk
• Pernod Ricard - Accept Responsibility www.acceptresponsibility.org.uk

The Department of Health advises that men should not drink more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol per day, and women should drink no more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol per day.

One unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml of pure alcohol. This means that as a rough guide when drinking:

• 1 x 125ml glass of wine/champagne at 12% ABV* = 1.5 units

• 1 x 25ml measure of spirits at 40% ABV* = 1 unit

• 1 x pint of standard beer at 3.8% ABV* = 2 units

Young drivers are most likely to have drink driving crashes, and it is notable that more young respondents had heard excuses than older drivers, the AA/Populus study found.

• 67% of 18-24 year olds had heard the "only down the road" excuse, 35% the "I won't get caught" response and 30% "There won't be more traffic about".
• Young drivers were less likely than older drivers to hear "It's been a while since the last drink".

• It is concerning that 'some young people calculate the risk of not getting caught rather than the risk of an accident', the study added.

According to the 18,251 respondents in the AA/Populus study the most common excuses for drink driving heard were:

• "It's only down the road" – 60%
• "I've had food, so that will have soaked the alcohol up" – 56%
• "It's been a while since the last drink" – 45%
• "There won't be any traffic around" – 28%
• "I won't get caught" – 27%

• As many as 35% of 18-to-24-year-olds intend to travel further by car this summer
• A total of 24% of 18-to-24-year-olds will drive less this summer.

• In all other age groups, the percentage of drivers cutting back was higher than those chalking up more miles this summer.
  

• Per mile driven, young drivers will have the highest risk of a drink-drive accident, up to five times the risk of the average driver.

Young motorists were warned about drink-drive dangers today as a survey showed that many of them plan to increase their car travelling this summer.

As many as 35% of 18-to-24-year-olds intend to travel further by car this summer than last, the AA/Populus survey revealed.

The AA said much of this mileage will be social and will often involve trips to places where alcohol is available.