Gen Z thinks it has become more socially acceptable to drive while over drinking limit
More than a third of Gen Zers believe it is more socially acceptable to drive while slightly over the legal drinking limit, according to a new survey.
At least 38 percent of young people aged 18 to 27 admitted that driving while over the limit has become more socially acceptable, compared to just 21 percent of other age groups and just 9 percent of Boomers.
The findings follow a survey by Direct Line of more than 2,000 people, including nearly 1,300 drivers, on attitudes towards drink driving.
Relaxed attitudes also emerged elsewhere; Only 64 percent of Gen Zers believe it’s best not to drink anything while driving, compared to 92 percent of Boomers.
Almost half (48 per cent) of Gen Zers who believed it was safe to get behind the wheel after drinking claimed they understood legal drinking limits, but only 12 per cent were able to define them correctly.
While the majority of adults (80 percent) agree that it may be unsafe to drive even if you are under the drink-drive limit, only two-thirds (67 percent) of Gen Z agree.
A fifth of Gen Zers who admitted to driving after drinking said it was “just because it was a short distance” and a third (32 per cent) believe they should be able to decide for themselves whether it is safe to drive.
The findings contradict widely reported research and trends that suggest Generation Z has significantly reduced alcohol consumption compared to older generations.
Direct Line said 35 percent of all drunk driving crashes involved drivers under the age of 30.
Matt Pernet, head of motor insurance at Direct Line, described Gen Z attitudes as “extremely worrying” and said: “Overall it is encouraging to see from our research that most people understand that there is no safe amount you can drink before driving.”
“But worryingly, there appears to be a gap in the understanding of some of the newest crop of drivers (Gen Z), particularly around how alcohol affects the body and what legal limits actually mean. For younger drivers, these gaps may be exacerbated by inexperience.”
The government is preparing to unveil its new road safety strategy in the new year, carrying out the biggest overhaul of driving rules in nearly 20 years.
Reports suggest that the drink-driving limit in England and Wales could be reduced from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml to 22 micrograms.
