Over 88 per cent of British women believe they are more likely to have an accident if they drive after two drinks, more than half (53 per cent) fear they are not safe to drive after just one drink, and two thirds state that driving after two drinks is completely unacceptable. Evidence that British women aren’t taking the issue lightly.

The recent study, conducted by the British Market Research Bureau, shows women recognise the damaging consequences drink driving can have on their personal and even professional lives, with nearly three quarters (71 per cent) saying it would be harder to get a new job or keep their current one, following a drink drive ban.

This research comes shortly after Lindsey Lohan’s 1-day jail sentence for driving under the influence. With Hollywood princess's like Paris Hilton and Lohan giving women drivers a bad name it is certainly a relief that British women feel so strongly about the matter.

Almost half of British women state it’s ‘very important’ for their partner to own or have access to a car. Women, on the whole, are far more conscientious about drink driving – men are eight times more likely to lose their licence through drinking than women.2 Good news, because if you’re caught drink driving today you’ll receive a criminal conviction, 12-month ban and a stiff fine as a minimum. All of which can heavily impact on your life.

Drink driving remains a key priority for the Department for Transport (DfT) in its work to improve road safety. A range of measures have already been introduced to help the police enforce against drink-driving, and a consultation on further ways to help the police enforce against drink-drivers is planned for later in the year. DfT and the Association of Chief Police Officers continue to work closely together and a police enforcement campaign has been taking place throughout the summer.

Road Casualties Great Britain 2005 indicates that 55% of all drink drive related casualties occur between Friday and Sunday. And 42% of drink drive casualties occur between the traditional drinking establishment closing times of 10pm - 3am.

However the Government is taking steps to make it easier for the police to enforce against drink driving:

The law has already been changed to allow blood samples to be taken from hospitalised drink-drive suspects who are unable to give consent;

The police have also been given new powers to carry out roadside evidential breathtesting, subject to type approval of appropriate equipment;

The Road Safety Act 2006 contains powers to require serious, including repeat, drink drive offenders to retake the driving test at the end of their driving ban.;

It also provides for the introduction of a breath alcohol ignition interlocks programme (or "alcolocks") as a new court disposal to discourage re-offending;

We have committed to consulting later in 2007 on further ways to make drink driving easier for the police to enforce. This will include looking at random breath testing and the blood alcohol limit.