Only having one drink is the most frequently-used excuse for drink-driving, a survey found.
Three in five (62 per cent) respondents to a poll of more than 12,000 AA members said they have heard others attempt to defend their actions by saying they've had just one.
Other frequent excuses heard are claiming food will 'soak up the alcohol' (41 per cent), only driving a short distance (40 per cent) and 'it's been a while' since their last drink (31 per cent
According to separate research carried out by comparison site Confused.com, more than 10,000 drivers were arrested last year for drink-driving offences during the festive season.
UK police force data revealed drivers in London, Northern Ireland and West Yorkshire were some of the worst offenders during festivities.
This is according to figures provided by constabularies via a freedom of information request for the volume of d
A total of 32 out of the nation's 45 forces responded to the request.
Over the festive period, data shows that December was the worst month overall, with police across the UK making a total of 3,581 arrests.
The Met Police were the busiest, with 508 arrests made during December.
This was almost double the number of arrests made in Northern Ireland, but both had some of the highest drink-driving numbers.
Police Scotland, which is also gearing up its annual festive crackdown and has a stricter drink drive limit than the rest of Britain, has revealed that last year its officers carried out 3,049 roadside tests in December - with 722 drivers detected for drink or drug offences, according to figures obtained by breathalyser manufacturer, AlcoSense.
riving arrests were made between November 2022 and January 2023.
The failure rate of 24 per cent means that nearly one in four drivers were found to be over the limit.
This compares with 2,965 tests and 628 failures in 2021 – so detections were up by 15 per cent.
AA Charitable Trust director Edmund King said: 'Just one drink can be enough to put you over the drink-drive limit, and even if you are within the limit, it can still affect your judgment and ability to drive safely.
'We need drivers to hang up these excuses for good. Drinking and driving simply do not mix – if you are doing one, then you shouldn't do the other.
'Drivers risk more than just a fine or losing their licence when they drink-drive. Every year hundreds of people needlessly die on our roads because of drunk drivers.
'Everyone wants to enjoy Christmas. Don't let your 'only one' drink be your last.'
Latest Department for Transport figures show fatalities from drink-drive crashes are at a 12-year high.
An estimated 260 people were killed in collisions on Britain's roads involving a driver over the alcohol limit in 2021 – the highest annual total since 2009.
The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.
The Scottish drink drive limit was lowered in December 2014 to 50mg.
Nowhere else in Europe has a limit above 50mg/100ml, and the Scottish Government reduced its limit to that level in 2014.
People convicted of drink-driving face being disqualified for at least a year and an unlimited fine. Offenders can be sent to prison in the most serious cases.