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Under-25s ‘believe they can drink-drive’
YOUNG motorists are twice as likely to think they can get away with drink-driving than older road users, a survey revealed today.
One in 12 drivers aged 17-25 reckoned there was no chance they would get caught if they exceeded the legal alcohol limit, the poll by road safety charity Brake and breakdown service Green Flag found.
This compared with a ratio of one in 25 for older drivers in the survey of more than 4,000 motorists.
Brake said the statistics were worrying, especially as 35% of car crashes in which alcohol is a factor involve a drunk driver who is under 25.
Brake chief executive Mary Williams said: "Without a strong deterrent, young people prepared to risk drink-driving will have no reason not to - and this research shows that, for a significant minority of new-generation drivers, that deterrent simply isn't seen to be there."
Brake and other road safety campaigners are preparing responses to a Government consultation on drink-driving.
Brake has been calling for some years for a lowering of the current 80mg/100ml legal alcohol limit for drivers to 50mg/100ml.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is working in partnership with the Department for Transport and the Licensed Trade to encourage responsible drinking this Christmas through a designated driver campaign.