By Peter Woodman, PA Transport Correspondent
Many young motorists are driving while over the legal alcohol limit and also taking to the road untaxed, uninsured and unlicensed, a survey out today revealed.
More than one in four drivers aged 25 and under have driven after taking alcohol, with 12% consuming 3-5 pints or more before getting behind the wheel, the survey from road safety charity Brake discovered.
As many as 60% of the more-than-five-pints offenders were also driving around unlicensed.
The survey, of 1,000 people aged 15-25, found that:
:: 6% admitted to driving without a licence and uninsured.
:: 60% of those driving unlicensed were under 17.
:: 22% claimed alcohol made them a "more careful driver" while only 15% thought it made them more dangerous.
:: 32% said the alcohol made them a faster driver.
:: 42% of young drink-drivers said the alcohol "had not affected" their driving.
:: 21% of drink-drivers said they did it because they "needed to drive" to get where they were going, while more than 35% said they did it because they "weren't thinking clearly".
:: Young people were unaware of the drink-drive limit. More than 20% wrongly thought it was the equivalent of three units or more (three small glasses of wine or above).
The survey coincides with National Road Safety Week co-ordinated by Brake.
Brake chief executive Mary Williams said: "Drinking and driving is the most horrendous, and flagrant, crime that a driver can commit, and is a growing offence among young people and which is causing a terrible, rising death toll.
"It is vital for everyone to pledge in Road Safety Week to never drink and drive - not a drop - and never get in a vehicle with a drunk driver.
"Any amount of alcohol makes you potentially a killer driver, and you run the risk of 14 years in prison. It is also really difficult to know how much alcohol you have drunk, so the only safe option is to drink none at all."
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