Research into Drivers’ Attitudes towards Drinking and Driving

Road Safety Scotland’s planning for these campaigns had in the past not been targeted at specific ‘types’ of drunk drivers, but aimed at all drivers and the consequences of drinking and driving.

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) and Road Safety Scotland recognised that if any further impact on drink drive figures was to be achieved then a more structured approach to publicity campaigns, based on research evidence, was needed. It was in this connection that Road Safety Scotland, in association with ACPOS, commissioned this research into driver attitudes towards drink driving in order to inform any future strategy for publicity initiatives.

More specifically the research set out to:-

• Establish what motivates drivers to drink and drive, and their views towards the prevailing laws and enforcement on drink driving.
• Identify any pattern in the characteristics of drivers who admit to drink driving (ie age/gender/social class/employment status etc) to build up a profile of the drink driver.
• Identify the characteristics of drivers who have recently been prosecuted for drink driving.
• Explore the main reasons why drivers choose not to drink and drive.