Nearly a quarter of the population admit to drink driving

Despite millions of pounds being spent on drink-driving awareness campaigns, nearly a quarter of people in the UK (23 per cent) admit to having recently driven when under the influence of alcohol.
 
And older is not necessarily wiser, with a quarter of over 55’s saying that they have driven under the influence of alcohol proving that it shouldn’t always be young drivers car insurance that has high rates.
 
Men are the worst offenders, with almost a third (31 per cent) admitting they have knowingly driven under the influence of alcohol, almost double the number of women (17 per cent).
 
Amazingly eight out of ten motorists are unaware of what the drink-drive limit is.  Despite being the worst offending group for drink-driving, the over 55’s are most aware of the legal limit, with 31 per cent answering correctly.
 
Further to drink-driving, UK drivers appear to be a nation of law breakers, whatever their age:
 
·         Two thirds of people regularly exceed the speed limits
·         35 per cent  talk on their mobile phones (non hands-free) while driving
·         Seven out of ten admit to eating or drinking at the wheel
·         Two thirds risk impairing their driving ability by getting in the car after a major argument with a loved one
John McDonagh, Head of Consumer Insurance, from Quinn-direct, said:  “Young drivers often get a bad driving reputation, but our research suggests this is an unfair tag.  We found that almost eighty percent of under-24s have never driven under the influence of alcohol so we try to ensure we offer cheap car insurance for young drivers to help them get on the road.
 
Beyond the potentially life-destroying effects of drink-driving, motorists should also be aware of the effect it can have on their insurance premiums.  Should you be convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol your premium will increase significantly and could more than double.  Many insurers will not insure someone with a previous conviction for drink-driving.  Motorists shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that it is acceptable behaviour to not mention any previous convictions as this could invalidate their insurance.”

Contact Information

Harriet Burrows

Manager

Quinn Direct

Quinn@eulogy.co.uk