21 February 2011
“It’s just down the road” has been named the top excuse used by drink-drivers.
While no reason will ever excuse drink driving, it seems some drivers feel the need to have a few and try it on regardless.
According to a recent survey by UK Insurance provider AA, the top-five excuses drink-drivers use as to why they’re OK to drive are:
- It's only down the road.
- I've had food, so that surely would have soaked the alcohol up.
- It's been a while since the last drink.
- There won't be any traffic around.
- I won't get caught.
Note to drivers – most of us may think we’re fine to drive after a few glasses of chardy but clearly your own judgment after a few isn’t a good indication if you are in fact OK to get behind the wheel. And with one wrong move meaning the loss of life, either your own or an innocent bystander’s, it’s just not worth the risk!
According to the RTA website, drink driving is a factor in about one in every five crashes in NSW where someone loses their life. Of the people who are killed, 88 per cent are men and 75 per cent are under the age of 40.
Rules for women
In order to be safe while driving, women are recommended to drink no more than one standard drink per hour, and need to be extra vigilant as most drinks poured on a night out are more than one standard drink, easily tipping you over the blood alcohol limit and putting you at risk.
So next time you’ve been named as the designated driver, it’s best not to drink at all … and you won’t even feel the need to use any of the top-five lame excuses!