A simple action can land you a huge fine or even prison time over Christmas.
The common mistake, which is just one simple act with a car, is in breach of the Highway Code and UK law and has the potential of a driving ban, reports The Mirror.
Despite it meaning you can end up in a lot of trouble, many motorists are unaware of the law.
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So what is the rule and how can it be avoided?
How could I be fined?
An act as simple as standing by your car could land you with a hefty fine.
Car insurance site Vanarama discovered standing by your car while drunk can result in three months’ imprisonment, up to £2,500 in fines and a possible driving ban.
The law regarding drink-driving in England refers to "being in control of a motor vehicle", so this includes being in the vicinity of your car, van or lorry.
If it can be proven you were intending to drive after a few too many festive drinks, then it can land you in serious trouble.
Your motivation can be proven by appointments listed in your diary or the time of day it is - such as if you need to go to work.
Drink-driving at Christmas
Drink-driving in the UK is a real problem and there is concern not enough people know what an unacceptable level of alcohol in their blood is.
A survey by Vanarama revealed a worrying number of people are unaware their evening drink may be too much for them.
They said: "The responses show that one in five UK adults – or eight million drivers – have no clue that it takes just two small glasses of wine to take your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) beyond the England, Wales and Northern Ireland limit of 0.08%, or 80mg of alcohol for every 100ml of blood.
"Worse still is that nearly a third of respondents believe a glass of champagne with the Christmas Day roast would have no effect on their ability to drive.
"Against the UK driving population (36 million), that means just over 10 million drivers could be risking it this year."
They estimated that, if this survey is applied to the whole population, around 19 million people could either be the driver or passenger in a car being driven under the influence of alcohol on Christmas Day.
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