More men than women happy to have one too many for the road

A new study has revealed men are much more willing to drive after drinking than women.  It also carries a warning that it's not just your life you could be ruining when the temptation to have a Christmas drink and drive becomes too much.

Women's car insurance specialist Diamond surveyed 2,600 motorists and found 1 in 10 men would consider themselves safe to drive after drinking between 3 and 4 units of alcohol compared to just 1 in 100 women.  Not a single woman questioned would consider herself safe to drive after 5 units or more, but 1% of men said they would.

Most women seem happier to err on the side of caution as 2/3rds of them, said they would only consider themselves safe to drive after drinking 0 units.  Whereas 47% of men, would drink 1 to 2 units and still drive.  In fact if you put all of the figures together, 62% of men are willing to drive after having drunk alcohol compared to 34% of women.

Diamond managing director, Sian Lewis, commented:- "These results show the effects drinking can have on your driving don't seem to have hit home with many men.  The fact that such a large percentage are happy to drive after having a drink is a real worry as any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive safely.  A single pint of 5% lager can contain up to 2.8 units and a large 250ml glass of wine can contain 3 units* which could easily push anyone, whether male or female, close to or over the drink drive limit."

Diamond also asked motorists whether they had ever been stopped and breathalysed by the police.  Again there was a difference between men and women as 32% of men questioned had been breathalysed compared to just 12% of women.

Sian continued:- "The legal drink-drive limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, and who honestly knows what they can drink and be under the limit?  The danger with stronger and larger drinks is that they can easily push you over this limit, so the best advice, if you want to avoid a fatal accident, prison sentence, driving ban or large fine, is not to drink at all.  You don't want to add to the estimated 14,480 casualties and 460 deaths that occurred in 2007 where someone was driving whilst over the legal limit for alcohol."

Diamond also investigated some of its in-house data and found that the majority of people they insure with drink drive convictions were caught during December which goes to show the anti-drink drive message is still being ignored by some people.

An example of the shocking impact drink driving can have is illustrated here.  Diamond dealt with one case where a driver used his partner's car after a night of drinking when he was not insured to.  He then drove two female passengers home, lost control of the car and hit a fence and lamppost.  The occupants of the car sustained nasty injuries including a collapsed lung and fractured pelvis.  The car was a write off, but as he was not covered to drive it an order was gained against his property to liquidise his assets to reclaim money he owed in relation to the claims paid out; all this because he thought it was acceptable to drink and drive. 

NEW RESEARCH WARNS PARTYING MP3 GENERATION THEY’RE LISTENING TOO LOUDLY FOR TOO LONG

RNID is urging music lovers in Merseyside receiving new MP3 players this Christmas to use them responsibly so they can enjoy their favourite music for years to come.  The call comes as the charity reveals the results of its largest UK-wide field research which shows that 66% of surveyed MP3 users are listening to louder than 85 decibels which, according to the World Health Organisation, can cause permanent damage to hearing over time.  When the cumulative effects of loud music at festive parties, bars and clubs are added to an individual’s weekly dose of high volumes, they risk premature hearing damage, the charity warns.

The charity’s Don’t Lose the Music Squad toured 8 cities across the UK to spot-check the volume of 246 shoppers’ MP3 players.  The research also found that 54% of MP3 player users tested are risking permanent hearing damage by listening to their devices at dangerously high volumes for longer than the recommended daily exposure limit.

Emma Harrison, RNID’s Director of External Affairs, says:- “Our research found people around the country are listening to their MP3 players at unbelievably high levels, with more than 1 in 5 blasting their ears with sound levels of 100 decibels or more – the equivalent of hearing a pneumatic drill 10 feet away! One MP3 user was listening at 118 decibels for 1 hour each day, a volume they shouldn’t be exposed to for more than 14 seconds per day.

Many music lovers, already running the risk of damage through listening to their MP3 players too highly, will be partying to even more loud music during the festive season, completely oblivious to the danger to their hearing.  With more people receiving MP3 players as Christmas gifts, it’s essential they’re aware of the risk and be able to make informed choices and take the steps to protect their hearing so they can enjoy music for longer.”

RNID’s findings support a recent European Commission review, which confirmed that listening to personal music players at a high volume over a sustained period can lead to permanent hearing damage. 

RNID, which represents the UK’s nine million people who are deaf or hard of hearing, is urging music lovers to follow these guidelines for safer listening:-

► Take a 5 minute rest for every hour you listen to your MP3 player to allow ears to recover.

► If you crank up the volume on noisy trains or busy streets, invest in noise-cancelling or sound-isolating headphones that cut out background noise.  Remember that even a small change in volume can have a big effect.

► Stand away from loud speakers in pubs, clubs, gigs and concerts.

► Take regular breaks from the dance floor and use chill out areas to give ears a rest from loud music.

► Wear earplugs designed for use in clubs and gigs, which reduce the volume not the quality of the sound – available for the price of a CD. 

For more information on exposure to loud music and hearing protection visit dontlosethemusic.com.