This paper describes the results of a survey carried out in pubs in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Kent and Middlesex, in which 226 drivers who were drinking were asked to explain the reasons for their decision to try to stay under the legal alcohol limit or alternatively why they intended to drive later when likely to be over the limit. The survey forms part of a 2 year study of unlawful driving behaviour funded by TRRL. The reasoning behind our respondents decisions on how much to drink and whether to drive showed, overall, a mixture of realism and some self-deception. The majority had realistic notions of how much they could drink and still be under the legal limit, and many of those ing under indicated a sense of personal responsibility. But our analyses suggest that type 1 drivers (153 drinkers intending to be under the blood alcohol limit when driving later) included quite a number who, despite their expressed intentions or hopes of staying under the limit, might actually be over it by the time of leaving, and that the confidence of some might be seriously misplaced. The factor influencing these drivers most to try to stay under was the fear of losing their licence; thus deterrence seemed to have some effect in this group. Analyses of type 2 respondents (73 drinkers who expected to be over the limit when driving) suggest that among them there is a hard core of drinkers who often drive while well over the limit, being confident in their ability to drive despite high levels of alcohol and who perceive the risk of a police stop or an accident as low. Two-fifths of all type 2 drivers said they would be deterred from driving with excess alcohol by greater police activity, but almost a quarter said that nothing would stop them.
Abstract