Otherwise known as Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), drink-driving in the UK is defined as the act of being in possession of a recognised mode of transport (a motorised vehicle such as a car, truck, boat, etc) while under the influence of alcohol. It can become a criminal offence when a subject is caught with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit. A conviction for drink-driving may not necessarily involve driving a vehicle; you can also be prosecuted in charge of a parked vehicle and/or failing to cooperate with the police in taking a preliminary roadside breath test.
As well as being against the law, drink-driving in excess has also scientifically been shown to greatly increase the risk of injury to all parties on the road. Despite a steady decline in the annual number of drink-driving accidents and fatalities to the lowest levels since records began, it remains the case that thousands of people are injured on the roads by drivers who drink, and the number of fatalities has stayed largely unchanged since 2010. In 2016, the drink drive limit was the subject of a campaign to lower it, featuring a broad coalition of non governmental organisations. For more information, please view our lower the limit campaign page.
The consumption of alcohol can have disruptive impact on other modes of transport, including air travel – as our Fit to fly report found – and on waterways too: boaters may be prosecuted under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 if their actions on the water are seen to be endangering other vessels, structures or individuals and they are under the influence of alcohol.
Resources available on this page:
- Frequently Asked Questions about 'Transport', with infographics presenting the most up-to-date statistics on the subject
- Factsheets providing an in depth perspective on the subject of 'Transport'
- Publications, Blogs, and News tagged 'Transport' for further reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Publications (View all)

IAS response to Transport Select Committee ‘Road safety: young and novice drivers’ inquiry
August 2019
Blogs (View all)
What can we learn from repeat drink drivers’ attitudes and beliefs about drink-driving?
23rd February 2021 | Dr Andrea Mohan
Dr Andrea Mohan discusses some of the findings from the PACTS study into drink-driving published earlier this year Read more »
Drink-driving could soar as pubs reopen in July
13th July 2020 | Confused.com
Fears this summer could attract record numbers of drink-driving convictions, especially while public transport restrictions are still in place Read more »
Revoking the ‘License to Drink’: Emerging evidence on mandatory sobriety
26th June 2020 | Beau Kilmer
Could 24/7 programs solve lingering questions about who gets the right to drink? Read more »
News (View all)
Drink-driving stats going nowhere
New drink-driving figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show yet another year of no significant change in accidents and casualties Read more »
Drink-driving death numbers still stalling
Progress on drink-driving injuries and deaths coming to a gradual stop Read more »
Driving the limit down
Scottish study shows little change in results so far, but support for a lower limit is still strong Read more »