A Christmas drink driving campaign by the AA and Pernod Ricard UK has highlighted that drinking and driving is a 50:50 gamble this festive season.

According to a survey carried out for the campaign, half of AA members (49 per cent) would call the police if they saw a stranger getting behind the wheel who was clearly over the drink drive limit.

However, just three per cent would call the police to report a friend and just two per cent would report a relative.

The majority of people (78 per cent) said they would take away a family member or friend’s keys and call a taxi if they were meant to be getting a lift home with a driver who had drunk too much.

Just under one in ten males (nine per cent) said they sometimes have a drink deliberately to avoid having to drive relatives around while 13 per cent pretend to have a drink to avoid this.

Seventeen per cent of people said they would still drive after a couple of glasses of wine or two pints of beer if they received an urgent call to pick up a loved one.

Edmund King, Automobile Association president: “There are more temptations to drink and drive at this time of year but there is also more likelihood of being caught as half of drivers would report a drink driving stranger and most police forces will breathalyse all those in crashes. Worse public transport, more parties, relatives to pick up, should not be an excuse to drink and drive.

“We are working again with Jameson Irish Whiskey as they are good at targeting drinkers and the AA can target drivers. The best advice is if you are going to drink, don’t drive, and if you are going to drive, don’t drink.”