One in five of us have knowingly accepted a lift from a driver over the drink drive limit according to a recent survey by the Automobile Association. Worryingly, nearly half of the 14,000 or so respondents admitted they had driven the morning after a heavy night with many expressing frustration at having no means with which to determine whether their blood alcohol levels had returned to permissible levels.
With alcohol a contributing factor in a third of fatal accidents, passengers are placing their lives in the hands of others and, as Conor Faughnan of AA Ireland points out: "While as a passenger you may not be breaking the law yourself under these circumstances, you do have a moral responsibility... passengers owe it to their own safety and that of other road users not to turn a blind eye."
Respondents in the 17 to 24 age group fared worst of those surveyed with 26.1% indicating they had accepted a lift from a driver over the limit; 64.4% admitted to accepting a lift from somebody they knew to be hung-over; while 11.6% of participants also said they had been driven by someone they suspected of being under the influence of narcotics.