One-in-four drivers do not know drink-drive limit

A quarter (23%) of drivers say they do not know what the legal drink-drive limit is, new research from TTC Group suggests.

In a survey of motorists, it found that a fifth of respondents (19%) admitted to accepting a lift from someone who has drunk alcohol or taken drugs, with 18–24-year-olds more likely to do so.

It also revealed that 11% of drivers confess to driving after consuming more than the legal drink-drive limit.

With the most recent figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) confirming that road fatalities as a result of drink driving are the highest they have been since 2009,  TTC believes businesses operating fleets of vehicles can play a crucial role in safeguarding the UK’s roads.

David Marsh, CEO of TTC explained: “Part of a business's duty of care towards their staff and others is making sure their drivers are fit to perform their duties. This includes making sure they are properly informed and deterred from driving under the influence. 

“Educating employees, detecting alcohol or drugs in the system and then preventing drink and drug driving is crucial. 

“We actively support businesses that put in place an effective driver policy that embraces fast accurate screening to reduce the risk of their employees’ drink or drug driving while on work business.”

TTC says there is more to consider than duty of care alone. For a business reliant on its employees’ driving, a driving ban of a year or more will have a serious impact on productivity and profitability and may mean the employer has to recruit replacement drivers. 

The individual themselves may miss out on earnings or even lose their job depending on the terms and conditions of their employment.

“Businesses have a lot to lose if their staff are caught driving under the influence,” continued Marsh. “Thanks to our background in pioneering offender training for police forces across the UK, we can offer some incredibly effective driver behaviour change education.

“This, coupled with random and with-cause employee screening can prove a powerful force in helping to stop drink and drug driving.” 

Motorists also do not appear to understand how alcohol metabolises in the body. Many drivers surveyed thought a glass of water, a sleep or a fry-up would ‘sort them out.’ 

The good news, however, is that 50% of motorists surveyed said they always leave 24 hours before driving after having a drink.

Marsh concluded: “Although being aware of units per alcoholic beverage and legal drink drive limits is essential, it is extremely hard to know if someone is over the legal drink drive limit at a given time. 

“The amount of alcohol in a person’s breath, blood or urine at the time of testing will depend on their weight, age, metabolism, the amount of food they've eaten and other factors. That’s why when developing a drink and drug driving policy with our clients we always take a three-pronged approach – education, detection and prevention.

“Ignorance is no defence in court. Fleet managers have a responsibility to help their drivers understand the huge risk they pose to themselves and others when they, knowingly or otherwise, drink or drug drive. 

“TTC continues to advocate ‘none for the road’, the very same message the Government is promoting with its latest Think! 0% campaign as it encourages all drivers, in particular young drivers to embrace the increasing variety of 0% alcohol alternatives.”

The TTC research comes as a separate survey from the RAC reveals that a third of drivers support police being given new powers to ban drink-drivers at the roadside.  

It revealed four-in-10 motorists (38%) believe harsher sentences are the answer to curbing instances of drink-driving, which were responsible for the deaths of some 300 people in 2022.