Police launch Christmas drink driving campaign

WITH the season of festivities nearly underway Warwickshire Police are launching a campaign to raise awareness of the issues around drink and drug driving.

There is no foolproof way of calculating how much you can drink and remain under the limit, or knowing how much an individual person can drink and still drive safely. Importantly, it is hard to calculate how long alcohol may stay in your body if you are driving the morning after so the safest option if you are driving is to drink no alcohol at all. There are plenty of alternatives available with public transport, taxis and sharing designated drivers. Pedestrians are also being encouraged to stay safe during the festive season and to plan safe routes home and to drink responsibly.

Figures indicate that, over the past three years, eight people were killed and 81 seriously injured in Warwickshire following collisions where drink or drugs were recorded as a contributory factor.

The campaign supports the month-long winter drink drive campaign, starting today, (Friday) by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

Police forces throughout the UK will be working hard throughout December to make sure the roads are safe for everyone this Christmas.

Assistant Chief Constable Richard Moore for Warwickshire Police said: "There are still people out there who feel they can gamble with drinking and driving and think they know how much the limit is but the simple fact is, there is only one way of being sure that you are safe to drive and that is not to drink at all.

"Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. Worryingly, and despite many warnings over the years about the dangers of drink/drug driving, there are still far too many reckless drivers ignoring the devastating consequences.

"Alcohol and drugs both affect your ability to judge speed and distances accurately and slow down your reaction time. We're urging people to think hard about the consequences that a collision and a conviction could lead to"