ONE in five Brits admit they are likely to ‘drink drive’ this Christmas, a study has found.

The research, commissioned by Manchester-based insurancerevolution.co.uk, surveyed 2,000 drivers and found many believe there is a good chance they will end up behind the wheel after one too many drinks this December.

And men are the most likely to drink drive, with one in four male drivers admitting they are likely to do so this Christmas, compared to just one in seven women.

Most cite ‘feeling fine to drive’ as a reason, with others admitting it’s ‘easier and cheaper’ than getting a taxi home at the end of the night.

Mark Rigby, head operating officer of Insurance Revolution, said: “One in five drivers thinking they will drink and drive this Christmas is a disturbing figure.

“It is abundantly clear that more education is needed, as people clearly aren’t aware of the effect just a small amount of alcohol can have on hazard perception and reaction time.”

The study also found that more than a quarter of drivers have confessed to knowingly going over the limit and still driving at Christmas in the past.

Moreover, young drivers are the most likely to do so, with 30 per cent of those aged between 18 and 24 admitting they will probably do so at some point during the upcoming festive period.

Despite this, when asked which group they thought were most likely to drink drive, the survey group overwhelmingly believed middle-aged men to be the worst culprits.

Mark said: “It may not come as a surprise that the 18-24 age group have the most people confessing to drink driving.

“Despite this, it’s a habit that needs to be stopped as soon as possible to make sure no more lives are put at risk.’’ The survey further revealed that a third of drivers have gone out for the evening with the intention to stay sober, only to succumb to peer pressure and had a few to drink.

And more than half of these people admitted that either they, or someone else, had still driven their vehicle home, despite it being illegal.

One in seven drivers admitted to doing so because they ‘live in a rural area where nothing can go wrong’.

Mark added: “Drivers need to be provided with a lot more information about the drink drive limit.

“It can be confusing for drivers to understand what the measure is and how what they are drinking correlates to that.

“We have to make sure drivers have clear information available to them.”