Drinking and Driving

Transportation in the city of London is also a major factor in the amount of alcohol one decides to drink in a night. If a person knowingly drinks knowing they must drive home they will usually drink a small amount. However, if there is someone else available to drive them home they do not think as much about when to stop drinking; set limits are not as clearly defined or as hard fastened. London’s transportation system happens to be one of the best in the world; with the Underground, their bus system, as well as their taxi system. With all these alternative modes of transportation, one never has to worry about how they will have to get home, as long as they have money on them. This very much applied to me and my fellow companions during our stay in London. We would go to a pub or even a club and drink, not setting clear limits knowing that we would get home by some alternative means of transportation than ourselves. We heavily relied on the public transport system to carry us home and in doing so, drank more than we necessarily should have. This aspect of British culture; their advanced modes of transportation, provide a gateway to alcohol abuse in a way that Americans don’t have available to them. As a result, drinking is much more accessible and open as an option, even a frequent option. Perhaps Britain’s transportation system affects their use of alcohol and is a factor in the difference between the ways in which Americans drink their liquor as opposed to how the British drink their liquor. Mothers Against Drunk Driving sponsor commercials in the UK that promote the use of taxis in order to prevent drunk driving. I have provided some examples of them below that I found on Youtube, feel free to check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSocwDtJLKA&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1JOrEsxFPc