Interviews were undertaken with a group of male motorists in Birmingham who had not been convicted of a drink/driving offence during the previous ten years. Data were obtained on drinking and drink/driving experience as well as knowledge of and attitudes towards drinking and driving and the law. Driving after drinking was found to be a common and frequent occurrence with 59 per cent admitting to drinking away from home on an average of 2.4 occasions per week. The median habit was to consume 3.2 pints of beer (48 gm of alcohol) or its equivalent, but wide variations were observed. The commonest mode of transport from the place of drinking was driving (63 per cent). this potential or actual contravention of the law was associated with some lack of knowledge of the law and its penalties. Motorists also rated drink/driving offences less seriously than the courts. Except amongst non-drinkers, little social stigma appeared to be attached to driving after drinking. Wide differences were obtained between the amounts of alcohol motorists believed that they could consume in two hours and remain below the prescribed limit and the amounts they could drink and still consider that they were fit to drive. (Author/publisher)
Abstract