Youngsters risking injury by drink driving

LONDON - Almost half of young drivers get behind the wheel the morning after a heavy drinking session despite the fact that they are likely to be over the legal limit, road safety research said Thursday.

The survey, of 4,640 drivers - 533 aged between 17 and 24 - came as the latest figures revealed that seven people a day died or were seriously injured from drink drive accidents in Britain over the past year.

Campaigners called on drivers to realise that alcohol stayed in the body for a "surprisingly long time" - sometimes up to 13 hours after consumption.

They urged the government to reduce the legal driving limit from 80mg per 100ml of blood to 20.

They also called for random breath testing, like those carried out in Australia, and to provide necessary funding for such strategies as well as start an advertising blitz, targeting young drivers.

The research, from the road safety charity Brake and breakdown company Green Flag, revealed that 48 per cent of young drivers aged between 17 and 24 were risking injury by getting behind the wheel the morning after heavy drinking sessions.

This was almost double the amount of older drivers, the survey said. Latest figures supplied by the groups, reveal that 540 people died and almost 2000 were seriously injured in drink-drive crashes last year.

And of the 90,000 convictions for drink-driving last year, almost 20 per cent were by people driving to or from work.

Jools Townsend, head of education at Brake, described the figures as shocking and disturbing.

"It is shocking that nearly half of young drivers will risk their own lives and endanger others by driving the morning after a heavy night's drinking," she said in a statement.

She said she had simple advice to young drivers who think they are fine to drive.

"If you're planning a really big night out over the festive period, make sure you don't need to drive the next day," she said. "Never chance it - it's not just your life you'll be putting on the line."