Driving safely this Christmas
Published 23 December 2025
Last updated 23 December 2025
With the holiday season approaching, we thought it was a great time to revisit the topic of safe driving at Christmas.
Drink and drug driving
Yes, it’s party season and booze is everywhere. Remind yourself, though, that however much you fancy a drink, it’s not worth the risk if you have to drive. You can be fined and receive penalty points just for being in charge of a vehicle while over the limit. If you actually drive and are involved in a serious incident with other road users, the consequences will be far worse.
The best way forward is to stick to soft drinks or choose alcohol free beers. If neither of those options appeal, speak to someone else about getting a lift to and from the venue.
What about the legal limit? Well, yes, there is a legal limit for alcohol consumption in the UK – although it differs from country to country. The trouble is that it’s difficult to work out how close to the limit you are without taking a test, and people process alcohol in different ways depending on factors such as weight, age, sex and how much they’ve eaten recently. Ultimately, you might have a drink and *feel* fine, but that does not mean to say that your driving will be unaffected or that you’re under the limit.
In the same way, do not be tempted to take drugs and drive. Drugs are just as capable of impairing your ability to drive safely as drink. What’s more, the legal penalties are as severe for drug driving as they are for drink driving.
Plan your journey
If you’re going away for Christmas, make sure you plan your journey, not your excuses. The roads are likely to be busy with holiday traffic and poor weather can make for difficult driving conditions, so it’s best to set off prepared.
There are plenty of resources to help you do this, including the AA’s route planner and National Highways’ travel alerts. You can also check the weather on the Met Office website and listen to the local/national radio for updates. Do not get caught out – do your homework before you leave, it’ll keep your stress levels down and help you focus on your driving.
Learn more…
That’s about it from us for this year. We’ll be back with more tips and advice in January, but if you can’t wait until then, zoom across to the Safe Driving for Life shop and take advantage of our festive 20% off discount code!