[19
DEC 00]
WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL NEWS
Even Father
Christmas Can Be Breathalysed
A
tough warning has been sent out by road safety officers to people
considering drinking and driving over Christmas.
Officers
in Warwickshire are pointing out that even Father Christmas could face
a breath test as the annual crusade to cut the number of
alcohol-related deaths and injuries on the county’s roads.
The
campaign, which was launched yesterday, is supporting the national
initiative run by the government to encourage people to have a happy
and safe Christmas.
This
year’s slogan is:
“Drink
and driving is one Christmas tradition that all road users can do
without'.”
County
Cllr Eddie Smith, cabinet member (Environment), said:
"If
you have had a drink, you are 50 times more likely to have an
accident. Drinking and driving is a potentially deadly habit.
“Nationally,
drivers who have been drinking kill around 500 innocent people each
year and are involved in about 16,000 crashes.
“It
is all so unnecessary. People don't need to mix drink and driving.
Book a taxi, use public transport, appoint a soft drink driver.
“Drinking
and driving does cause accidents, and does kill. Our message is
simple, don't risk ruining your own or anyone else's Christmas by
drink driving."
Sgt
Phil Ashby from Warwickshire Police added:
"Even
the smallest amount of alcohol will affect your ability to drive
safely. Your concentration will be affected, your ability to
estimate speed and distance will be affected, as will your
co-ordination and reaction time.
“Lots
of people are caught out at this time of year because of office
parties, lunchtime drinking, home measures which are often three or
four times greater than pub ones, and the classic morning after the
night before.
“Those
people who drink and drive must be either selfish enough not to care
that they could kill someone's parent or child and cause untold
distress or anguish, or arrogant enough to believe they will not be
caught."
He
warned that all motorists involved in an accident will be breathalysed
and in addition a campaign is being carried out to concentrate on
safety aspects of cars.
If
a motorist is stopped, a visual safety check will be carried out and
the motorist may be breathalysed.
These
checks will be in addition to the routine breath testing of any driver
stopped by officers whom they have reasonable cause to suspect has
been drinking alcohol.
The
campaign runs until 2 January.
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