Drink driving message not getting through to young drivers
- Over a third (38%) of Gen Z think it has become more socially acceptable to drive when marginally over the legal drink driving limits
- Around a quarter (29%) of the same generation think you are always safe to drive if you are under the drink driving limits
- Whilst 80% of adults agree that you may not be safe to drive even if you are under the drink drive limit, just two thirds (67%) of Gen Z agree
- More than a third (35%) of all drink drive related collisions involve a driver under 30
A nationwide study¹ conducted by Direct Line motor insurance reveals a worrying cohort of young people who have not got the message on drink driving. Four in 10 (38%) Gen Z say they feel it has become more socially acceptable to drive when marginally over the legal drink driving limit. By contrast, half of UK adults across all age groups (48%) say it is not socially acceptable to drive after drinking at all.
Almost half of Gen Z² (48%) who say they feel safe to get behind a wheel after a drink say that they fully understand the legal drink drive limits – despite only 12% of Gen Z overall being able to correctly identify what they are in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
In fact, three in 10 (29%) younger drivers wrongly believe that you are always safe to drive if you are under the identified legal drink drive limits. Just 64% of Gen Z agree that it is best not to drink anything when you are driving, compared to 92% of Boomers.
Table one: Gen Z attitudes to drink driving when compared to all adults
| Statement | All adults | Gen Z (18-27) |
| It has become more socially acceptable to drive when marginally over the legal limit | 21% agree | 38% agree |
| Legal to drive doesn’t necessarily mean safe to drive | 80% agree | 67% agree |
| The safest approach is to say no to any form of alcohol when driving | 83% agree | 64% agree |
| Alcohol does not impair my judgement | 8% of drivers who feel safe to drive after drinking say they judge they ability to drive this way³ | 16% of drivers who feel safe to drive after drinking say they judge they ability to drive this way |
| If you are under the legal blood alcohol limit you are always safe to drive | 39% incorrect and don’t know | 56% incorrect and don’t know |
Source: Direct Line motor insurance 2025
Confusion and misconceptions around drink driving safety are more pronounced among younger drivers. Over four in 10 (41%) of Gen Z struggle to equate volume of physical drinks to drink driving blood, breath or unit limits, compared to a third (37%) of all drivers.
Matt Pernet, Head of Direct Line Motor Insurance, said: “Personal judgement is an unreliable source when it comes to knowing if you are safe to drive, especially as many adults cannot correctly identify the legal limits. Therefore, seeing in the results that a third of Gen Z (32%) think that they should be able to judge for themselves if they are safe to drive is extremely worrying.”
One in five (20%) of Generation Z who admit to driving after drinking alcohol did so ‘because it was only a short distance’.
In 2023 – the most recent year for which data is available3 – 35% of all drink driving collisions involved a driver under the age of 30: 1,290 of the total of 3,690. In fact 6.2% of drivers aged 20-24 reported driving whilst thinking they are over the legal alcohol limit at least once in the year ending March 20244.
Matt Pernet, Head of Direct Line Motor Insurance, added: “Overall, it is encouraging to see from our research that most people understand there is no safe amount that you can drink before driving.
“Worryingly though, some in the newest cohort of drivers – those in Gen Z – seem to have a gap in their understanding, especially regarding how alcohol affects the body and what the legal limits really mean. For younger drivers, these gaps can be compounded by inexperience.”
Direct Line conducted an experiment5 in a number of city centres across the UK, asking people who had been drinking for their views on drink driving limits and whether they felt safe to drive. The participants welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the realities of drink driving, sharing feedback such as:
“I thought I’d be fine with just one drink, but this test makes me think twice.”
“It’s a shock to see the actual reading – I always thought I could judge it, but clearly that’s not enough.”
“Learning about the limit and how it works is really eye-opening.”
The findings underscore the need for continuous public education and accessible information. Ensuring that all drivers understand both the letter of the law and the realities of alcohol’s effects, is crucial for reducing risk and keeping everyone safe on the road.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Research conducted by Direct Line Motor Insurance on a sample of 2,000 UK Adults, aged 18+, (~1,300 UK drivers) from 3rd – 6th June 2025.
Gen Z refers to any adult surveyed above aged 18 and aged 27 or below.
Reported drink driver collisions by age of driver: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain#ras20
Crime Survey for England and Wales: self-reported driver behaviour
Research conducted by Boscombe Insights Advisory who interviewed 97 people who had been drinking that day (but were not driving) on whether they felt safe to drive, and then breath tested them. The interviews took place in Glasgow, Northampton and Cardiff during June and July 2025.
For further information, please contact:
Direct Line
Unni Henry
Email : Unni.Henry@directlinegroup.co.uk
Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line and is part of the Aviva Group.
Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0345 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com/car-cover