It could go to penalties
Warwickshire residents will be reminded of the dangers of drink driving when a new county council campaign launches this week.
The council’s Road Safety Unit’s campaign called ‘penalties’ launch coincides with the start of the World Cup. It compares the tension and stress of being breathalysed with the experience of watching a penalty shoot out to highlight the potential consequences of drink driving.
The campaign asks football supporters to enjoy the World Cup responsibly and not to let the side down by drink driving. Government guidelines advise that drinking alcohol should be avoided altogether when driving as there is no failsafe calculation on limits.
The penalties for drink driving are up to 6 months in prison, a minimum 12 month driving ban, a fine of up to £5,000 and a criminal record which could lead to job loss and difficulty finding new employment.
Even more serious consequences may result from the effect of alcohol on an individual’s ability to drive safely with the risk of causing a collision, and injuring or killing themselves, or someone close to them is greatly increased.
The campaign has been timed to coincide with the World Cup as alcohol consumption is expected to rocket during the tournament both at home and in pubs and clubs. Large numbers of people will be getting together to support the event, watching football in pubs or makeshift living room stadiums and spirits will be high with the general euphoria that such sporting events can create.
One drinks trade publication has reported that an extra 21 million pints of beer will be consumed in the UK during the finals and that 31 per cent of the population will buy more alcohol than usual as a result of the World Cup. Inevitably some of these people will find themselves drinking alcohol when they need to drive.
County Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection said: “We know that alcohol consumption is likely to increase during the World Cup and whilst we want people to enjoy the event together, it is important for us to remind them to stay safe and be responsible, particularly if they are planning to drive after the games.
“I hope drivers will take notice of the warnings contained within this new campaign and take time to consider the potentially devastating and long lasting consequences of drink driving.”
Stressing the serious consequences of driving under the influence, Chief Inspector Tim Bailey, Head of Operations, Warwickshire Police added: “People who think they can get away with drink driving are wrong. Police officers know all the tell tale signs and have the power to stop and breathalyse any driver they suspect of drink driving.
"We’ll be deploying extra resources during the World Cup to deal with the threat posed by drink drivers and to prevent them from causing harm to themselves or others.”
Kit Leck, Manager of the Warwickshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team said:
“Drink driving is extremely dangerous with serious consequences and can never be condoned. Everyone on a night out should ensure they have a designated driver or plan public transport routes in advance of the football matches.
“In addition to the campaign against drink driving, we also want to communicate an overriding message to drink responsibly. We are working with a number of services in the county to remind people to take measures to protect themselves from a range of harmful situations which can arise as a result of excessive alcohol consumption.
"For more information, or to access advice and support for alcohol misuse, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/alcohol.”