Half of UK motorists back total ban on drink driving, new study finds

A poll of 2,000 drivers found 54% backed a total ban on having alcohol in your system when on the road.

An even higher 84% want to see the limit reduced in order to cut the number of casualties on the country's roads.

But the survey by law firm Slater and Gordon also revealed that 38% confessed to getting behind the wheel when they knew or suspected they were not fit to drive.

The findings follow the publication of another report on Wednesday that found the reduced drink-drive limit in Scotland has had no impact on cutting road accidents.

The Scottish Government cut the legal blood alcohol limit for motorists from 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood to 50 in December 2014.

It argued the change would help save lives and make the country's roads safer.

But academics from Glasgow University who analysed police and alcohol market research data said their "unequivocal" results showed the policy was not having the intended effect of reducing collisions.

Jim Lewsey, professor of medical statistics at Glasgow University's Institute of Health and Wellbeing, said the "most plausible" explanation for the "surprising" finding was the lower limit in Scotland was not backed up with sufficient police enforcement or media campaigning.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said MSPs had unanimously backed the new drink-drive limit based on scientific evidence to bring Scotland in line with most European countries.

The latest poll also revealed that just 5% of people knew the recommended number of alcohol units permitted before driving.

Only one in 10 (11%) people were able to correctly identify the current limit of 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 50 in Scotland.

Paul Reddy, head of road traffic defence at Slater and Gordon, said:

"There is still a lot of confusion around the drink drive limit in this country, but it is surprising and very concerning that the large majority still don't know the guidelines.

"This may be one of the reasons why so many people support a total ban which would remove any room for doubt. What these results do definitely tell us is that more education is needed on this.''

Polling found that 61% who knew or suspected they had driven over the legal limit said they "felt fine" at the time.

Other excuses included driving being the only option to get where they wanted to go (40%), it was only a short drive (29%), the car was needed the next day (22%), it was a familiar route (17%), or in a quiet area (11%).

A third of people (33%) had got in a car with someone they knew or suspected of being drunk and 29% knew at least one person who regularly drove while over the limit.

Just one in 10 (10%) had reported a suspected drink driver to the police but many said they either wouldn't want to incriminate them (19%), it was none of their business (15%) or they wouldn't want to fall out (11%).

Mr Reddy added: "If everyone is drinking around you, many people convince themselves they'll be fine having a couple. They don't want to be seen as the party pooper.

"The potential for even the smallest amount of alcohol to impair your driving cannot be underestimated though and the consequences can be severe.

"At best you may lose your licence, at worst you could end up spending Christmas behind bars having killed or seriously injured someone else or yourself. It's simply not worth the risk."

There were at least 6,070 road traffic accidents in the UK in 2016 that involved drink-driving, while such incidents are estimated to cost the Scottish economy about £80 million a year.