A study of drivers in Scotland, UK to examine the prevalence of, and attitudes to, drink driving was conducted. Individual and group interviews were used to obtain information, with confidentiality and anonymity assured. Six out of ten drivers admitted to having driven within a few hours of an alcoholic drink and four out of ten admitted to doing so in the past year. Men aged 30-59 were most likely to have driven after drinking alcohol. Young men (17-44) were most likely to have driven after drinking alcohol in the last year. The average amount of alcohol consumed was roughly two units, but among drivers considering themselves likely to have been over the legal blood alcohol concentration limit, it was six units. There was little enthusiasm for public transport as an alternative to car use in relation to social activity. Taxis and shared minibuses were more popular alternatives. People often took risks with next day driving. It was widely perceived that attitudes and behaviour in relation to drink driving had changes in recent decades. Current laws were seen as unevenly enforced and the perceived concentration of enforcement at Christmas and New Year was criticised. There was a widely held view that current penalties for drink driving are too lenient but when presented with the details of specific cases, members of the public opted for sentences in line with what they would expect the courts to give.
Samenvatting