After a big night out this Christmas when will you be save to drive…
The Safer Peterborough Partnership is reminding drivers of the legal and personal consequences of drinking and driving over the festive season.
The new THINK! advert marks the 50th year of anit-drink drive campaigns.
The advert delivers a clear warning to drivers the effects drink driving can have on themselves and others. New research from THINK! shows that 92 per cent of people in the east of England now say that drink driving is unacceptable.
Drink drive incidents occur all year, but there is an increase at Christmas when many people go out after work for pre-Christmas drinks, parties and celebrations. Last December there were 96 arrests in Cambridgeshire for drink driving offences, this year the message is clear.
Drivers should not only think about how they are getting home after a night out, they should also think before driving the next the day as they could still be over the legal limit.
On average it takes around one hour per unit of alcohol, though this can vary depending on a number of factors.
Because of this, there is a real risk that people who would not dream of driving after drinking may still be unwittingly over the drink drive limit the morning after.
This includes people going about everyday activities such as driving to work, doing the school run, or popping to the shops or to see friends.
If you drive at twice the legal alcohol limit you are at least 30 times more likely to cause a road crash than a driver who hasn’t been drinking. Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. You may think you’re in control but the effects of alcohol on your driving can include; slower reactions, reduced field of vision, poorer judgement of speed and distance, overconfidence and increased risk taking.
A drink drive conviction has the potential to ruin someone’s life with a mixture of legal and personal consequence. Convictions mean at least a 12-month driving ban, a criminal record a hefty find and possible lifestyle change.
For further information please visit www.morning-after.org.uk
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