Young adults admit to drink driving

Shocking figures released by The Co-operative Insurance have revealed that 55 per cent of young drivers have got behind the wheel under the influence of drink or illegal drugs.

As part of The Co-operative Insurance's ongoing ‘2 Young 2 Die' campaign, in association with national road safety charity ‘Brake', 2079 drivers under the age of 25 were polled via its unique website 2young2die.org.uk and shockingly 1,143 admitted to putting not only their own, but other road users lives at risk by driving under the influence.

Historically, drink driving has been the catalyst for motoring convictions, however the figures suggest that drug driving is on the rise, with 18 per cent of young drivers polled admitting to driving under the influence of illegal drugs and 37 per cent under the influence of alcohol.

Road crashes remain the leading cause of death for young people. Many young drivers take extreme risks such as overtaking on blind corners, speeding and driving while drunk or drugged, and gamble with their own lives and the lives of their friends and other drivers.

David Neave, Director of General Insurance at The Co-operative Insurance, said: "At least 15,935 people in the UK were killed or hurt by drink and drug-drivers in 2007, whilst these figures do not suggest that every young driver was over the drink drive limit they are very concerning especially with reports warning that illegal drug use in the UK is on the increase."

The characteristics of drug driving are extremely wide-ranging depending on what has been taken and the effects can last for up to a day later, meaning that many passengers may be unknowingly putting their lives at risk by accepting a lift in a car being driven by someone under the influence.

Amphetamines, such as speed, can cause drivers to feel invincible and take dangerous risks, whereas cannabis and other drugs with a relaxant effect can lead to depleted reaction times and an inability to multi task (hold the steering wheel and change gear).

The 2 Young 2 Die website 2young2die.org.uk not only highlights the deadly results of bad driving it also provides an opportunity for much wider groups of young people and individuals to learn about the carnage caused by bad driving and find out why safe driving is crucial.