Reckless summer driving

Drink driving should not just be associated with the festive season warns uSwitch.com. Analysis of road traffic accidents reveals a 4% rise in drink driving casualties in August compared to December.

New research from uSwitch.com reveals the summer can bring out reckless behaviour amongst British motorists. 14% (5.6million) get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol, despite feeling uncertain about whether they are safe to do so. On top of this, 1 in 5 drivers say they feel more tempted to drive fast in the summer months, with 7% (2.8 million) admitting to breaking the speed limit.

Of the half a million drivers stopped and breathalysed every year, 20% are found to be positive. When convicted, these drivers can expect their car insurance premiums to rocket by an average of 63% (£334.06). Younger male drivers can expect to pay the highest penalty, with their insurance premiums increasing by 101% (£1,236.76) on average. Motorists who break the speed limit just once add an average of £23 to their car insurance premiums. Three speeding offences pushes the cost up by 49% (£147).

Several factors determine the level of alcohol in a person's blood such as their sex, weight, and age. This means, drivers who have a drink can never be 100% sure that they are not putting themselves over the legal limit (currently 80 micogrammes per 100ml of blood). With glass sizes increasing along with the strength of some beers, wines and spirits - which are particularly hard to measure when ‘free pouring' at a summer party - it's not surprising that British drivers are confused about the amount they can safely drink. The research shows that 29% of drivers (potentially as many as 11.6 million) take a gamble and will drive after having ‘just one drink' at a BBQ or summer picnic.

Drink-driving and speeding don't just affect the motorists themselves; there are more damaging, long-lasting consequences. On average, 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink driving collisions and nearly one in six deaths on the road involve drivers who are over the legal alcohol limit. Speeding has equally devastating consequences. Every year, almost 7,300 accidents (14% of which are fatal) are caused by motorists exceeding the speed limit and over 16,000 (18% of which fatal) are caused by people travelling too fast for the conditions.

Worst affected regions

There are almost 600,000 drivers holding a drink-driving conviction and over 8 million car license holders who have been convicted of speeding in the UK. Bristol has the highest number of drivers with endorsements on their policies for driving while under the influence - a total of 4,858 licence-holders (2% of all policy-holders). The city also takes third place for the number of policy-holders with a speeding conviction, 67,006 (27%), pipped to the post by Nottingham where a staggering 30% have a conviction for speeding.

Mark Monteiro, Insurance Expert at uSwitch.com, comments: "Having a drink with family and friends at a barbeque or local pub is all part and parcel of celebrating the summer. Yet over 11 million motorists may be taking a gamble with their lives by remaining in a state of denial regarding the affect even a small amount of alcohol has on their ability to drive safely. Drinking and driving can create a hangover that no amount of pain-killers can take away. A conviction will stay on your licence for over a decade and you can expect your insurance premium to increase by over £330. Any amount of alcohol, even in small measures will impair a driver's ability, and so the safest and most sensible answer is simply not to drink if you plan to drive."

"When the sun is shining it can be all too tempting to put your foot down and hit the open road but speeding is a serious offence. Not only can it cost you more money - it costs lives too. The best way to keep your insurance premium down is to be a safe and responsible driver."

Driving or attempting to drive whilst above the legal limit currently carries a maximum penalty of 6 months' imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 and a minimum 12 months driving ban. The hangover lasts and lasts. An endorsement for a drink-driving offence remains on a driving licence for 11 years, so it will take over a decade before a convicted driver will have a "clean" licence again.