Increase in drink-drive admissions

As many as 20 per cent of drivers also have no idea how many units are in any alcoholic drink, the poll by LV= car insurance found.

A pint of lager is the drink most motorists assume contains less alcohol than it does.

The survey also showed that Greater Manchester is the drink-drive capital of the UK, with more than 3,500 caught already this year.

Of 2,028 people questioned, 15 per cent said they had driven over the legal alcohol limit at one point, despite the fact that 88 per cent admitted it affected their ability to drive.

As many as 80 per cent of drivers wrongly guessed how much alcohol lager contained, while most motorists thought a large 250ml glass of wine had two units of alcohol when it actually contains three.

According to a freedom of information request made by LV= to England and Wales police forces, December is the month in which most drink-drive arrests are made.

After Greater Manchester, the police area in which most motorists have been caught drink-driving this year is Thames Valley (1,844 caught), followed by Hampshire (1,646), Strathclyde (1,600) and Kent (1,514).

Over the last three years, the area at the top of the drink-drive table is Greater Manchester (13,056), followed by Hampshire (7,006), Strathclyde (6,444) and Kent (6,319).