Over a third of Gen Z believe it is more socially acceptable to drive while marginally over the legal drinking limit, according to a new survey.
At least 38 per cent of young people aged 18 to 27 admitted that it has become more socially acceptable to drive while over the limit, compared to only 21 per cent of other age groups and only 9 per cent of Boomers.
The findings come after a poll of over 2,000 people on attitudes towards drinking and driving conducted by Direct Line, which included approximately 1,300 drivers.
The relaxed attitudes were revealed elsewhere too, with only 64 per cent of Gen Z believing it is best not to drink anything when you are driving, compared to 92 per cent of Boomers.
Nearly half of Gen Z (48 per cent) who believed it was safe to get behind the wheel after a drink claimed that they understood the legal drinking limits, but only 12 per cent were able to correctly identify them.
The vast majority of adults (80 per cent) agreed that you may not be safe to drive even if you are under the drink drive limit, but just two-thirds (67 per cent) of Gen Z agreed.
One in five of Gen Z who admitted to driving after a drink said it was “because it was only a short distance”, and a third (32 per cent) believe they should be able to judge for themselves if they are safe to drive.
The findings contrast with widely reported research and trends that suggest Gen Z have drastically reduced their alcohol consumption in contrast to older generations.
Direct Line said that 35 per cent of all drink-driving related collisions involve a driver under the age of 30.
“Overall, it is encouraging to see from our research that most people understand there is no safe amount that you can drink before driving,” said Matt Pernet, head of Direct Line motor insurance, calling the Gen Z attitudes “extremely worrying”.
“Worryingly though, some in the newest cohort of drivers – those in Gen Z – seem to have a gap in their understanding, especially regarding how alcohol affects the body and what the legal limits really mean. For younger drivers, these gaps can be compounded by inexperience.”
The government is set to release its new road safety strategy in the new year, in the biggest overhaul to driving rules in nearly 20 years.
Reports suggest that the drink-drive limit in England and Wales could be reduced from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml to 22 micrograms.
