Young people's perception of the amount of alcohol they can consume before testing positive in a roadside breathalyser test is significantly higher than the actual amount required according to the Department of Transport.

In a report published today by the RACC and ANFABRA, the association of soft drinks manufacturers, people aged between 18 and 34, who were interviewed for the survey, believed they could have four and a half glasses of beer or wine before reaching the 0.5g of alcohol per litre of blood which would mean failing a breathalyser test.
 
In actual fact, for a male of average build, the actual amount of alcohol allowed by law is equivalent to just one and a half glasses of beer or two glasses of wine.
 
For women, the quantities would be considerably less, equating to just one glass of beer or one and a half glasses of wine.

As far as young people's perception of risk was concerned, 7.1% believed that their driving ability did not diminish even after six drinks, 33% felt the same was true after three drinks and 80% believed that they drove equally well after one drink as they did before consuming any alcohol.

According to Francesc Bonet, head doctor for the RACC, 1.5 grams of alchohol per litre of blood, an amount shown to be the norm amongst drivers of this age, equated to a 380 fold increase in the risk of accidents compared with drivers who haven't drunk any alcohol.

28.9% of those surveyed admitted to having driven under the influence of alcohol in the last three months, or to having been a passenger in a car whose driver was under the influence.

Despite this, 83% of the young people interviewed were in favour of a zero-limit for novice drivers.

The survey also revealed the prevalence of old wives' tales when it comes to ways to reduce the alcohol in your bloodstream, from cold showers, to drinking coffee to waiting an hour before driving.  The most popular myth of all, believed by over 60% of those surveyed, was that sleeping in the car for a while before driving would reduce alcohol levels.
 
Lluis Puerto, head of road safety for the RACC, pointed out that alcohol was a factor in between 30 and 50% of all accidents and that the combination of 'young people, cars and alcohol' was a 'high risk' combination.

Moreover, in the whole of Europe, Spain is the country that saw the greatest percentage increase in traffic accident fatalities with positive alcohol blood tests between 1996 and 2005 and that 53% of those surveyed said that they had not reduced their alcohol consumption in the last three years, despite the fact that the law had become more stringent.