Young Drink And Drug Driving Shockingly High Finds Road Safety Week Report - Brake Pleads 'Not A Drop, Not A Drag', England

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 26 Nov 2009 - 2:00 PST

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More than 1 in 4 young people (28%) admit to drink or drug driving, or both, or being a passenger with a young drink or drug driver, finds a shocking new report released at the start of Road Safety Week by Brake, the road safety charity behind the Week, in partnership with companies 3M and Alcosense.

The report, commissioned by the three agencies, also finds that:

FACT ONE: 1 in 6 young drivers admit to drink driving and 1 in 15 young drivers admit to drug driving - and often combine it with drink driving.

Out of 2,621 young drivers aged 17-25 interviewed for the report in schools and colleges, one in six (18%) admit to driving after drinking alcohol and one in 15 (7%) admit to driving on illegal drugs. Out of those who admit to drug driving, most (84%) say they drive on a cocktail of drink and drugs.

FACT TWO: 1 in 4 young people are risking their neck as a passenger with a young drink or drug driver.

The report also surveyed 4,143 young people in the same age bracket who travel as passengers with young drivers aged 17-25. Nearly one in four (23%) said they had been a passenger with a young drink or drug driver. (Drink and drug drive casualties are often passengers of young drivers.)

FACT THREE: Young people underestimate how long alcohol and drugs stay in their system, so may drive on drink or drugs unknowingly.

When asked questions about how long different alcoholic drinks (such as wine, beer, cider, spirits) or cannabis stays in your system, about half of young people underestimate the length of time.

FACT FOUR: 'Smashed and crashed and a young man'. If you admit to drink or drug driving you are also more likely to say you have crashed. You are also more likely to be male. A significant number of young men also believe they are better at handling drink and drugs and driving than women.

It's no surprise that the report finds a strong link between 'smashed and crashed' drivers; drivers who admit to drink or drug driving and who also say they have crashed while at the wheel. Four in ten young drivers who admit to driving on drink or drugs (39%) say they have also crashed, compared with one in ten young drivers who say they don't drink or take drugs and drive (10%).

The report also finds that a whopping three-quarters (73%) of young drivers who admit to driving smashed and having crashed are male.

A quarter of the young men (26%) surveyed believe that males are better than females at handling drink or drugs and believe they are therefore safer driving on drink or drugs.

Go to http://www.roadsafetyweek.org for all other information about Road Safety Week including community and corporate participants, resources and sponsor info.

Source
Brake