As many as 200,000 mothers could be driving their children to school with alcohol in their system, new analysis suggests.
Government figures analysed by breathalyser manufacturer AlcoSense show that 8% of women with dependent children exceed nine units of alcohol on their heaviest drinking day of the week.
With more than 2.5 million mothers drive their children to school, this means that 200,000 could be ‘potentially putting their children at risk’.
The figure for fathers is even higher, with 10% exceeding 12 units on their heaviest drinking day – although fewer men do the school run. However, they are likely to be on the road at the same time driving to work.
AlcoSence points to figures which show that around 5,700 children are injured each year on the roads during the morning and evening school run period, with 700 killed or seriously hurt. September is the worst month for child road casualties.
Hunter Abbott, managing Director of AlcoSense and advisor to PACTS, said: “Professional couples unwinding with a bottle of wine after a stressful day may be most at risk when they leave the house early the next day.
“Research shows that people earning over £40,000 consume more alcohol than those in lower salary brackets.
“Even with just one-eighth of the current English drink drive limit (one-fifth of the Scottish limit), you are 37% more likely to be involved in a fatal road accident than when sober.” (Drugs and Alcohol: Their Relative Crash Risk”, Romano et al. Published January 2014 in the “Journal of Studies on Alcohol Drugs”)
