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Around Town Meets...
Brake
 The Huddersfield-based road safety charity which campaigns constantly in the fight against drink driving and many other issues.
Every week around a dozen people are killed on UK roads as a result of drink driving. With the festive season only weeks away, the temptation to drink and drive is greater than ever.
The battle against drinking and driving goes on constantly, says Lorna Jackson, media spokesperson for Brake, the Huddersfield-based charity which recommends drivers shouldn’t touch a drop of alcohol when they intend to get behind the wheel.
Figures released by West Yorkshire Police in January show that the 2006/2007 drink and drug driving campaign did crack down on offending motorists – and the message remains the same for this Christmas: drink driving will not be tolerated.
The number of arrests for December 2006 were up by 100 on the previous year, 420 motorists were arrested for being over the prescribed limit (320 in 2005) and there were also other arrests for driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs.
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The message to anyone considering drinking or taking drugs and driving is clear: the Police are always on the lookout for offenders who will be dealt with very seriously.
Brake says all these deaths every week can be prevented if all drivers pledge NEVER TO DRINK AND DRIVE – NOT EVEN A DROP.
So what are the effects of alcohol: this is a depressant drug and even a small amount (such as half a pint of lager) can affect the reaction of a driver in terms of timing, judgement and co-ordination.
It also creates a false sense of confidence and leads drivers to take more risks and believe they are in control when they are not. The only way for a driver to be really safe is not to drink anything at all before driving.
Trying to calculate how much alcohol an individual has in their blood, or how long it will stay in the body’s system, is also impossible. This depends on a number of factors including sex, weight, metabolism, health and when a person last ate.
Sobering up also takes longer than you think. For example if you finish a fourth pint of beer at 11pm, then you probably won’t be fully sober until 10am the day after.
Lorna says: “Many people put their faith in ineffective measures such as drinking coffee, eating, sleeping and showering. These don’t make you sober up any faster, and it will still take longer than you think. Our advice would always be, if you’re driving, don’t touch a drop.’’
There are several rules to observe when drinking:
• Never drink any alcohol if you’re driving.
• Never drink if you’re driving early the next morning.
• Take responsibility for others – never buy a drink for someone who is driving.
Drink driving casualties (deaths, serious and minor injuries) decreased significantly during the 1980s but rose again by nearly a third from 1993 to 2002 and drink driving deaths now account for one in six road deaths.
These Government statistics don’t show that many drink drive crashes are caused by drivers with only a small amount of alcohol in their blood.
According to a survey of 1,000 drivers by Brake, half of drivers admit to drink driving and one in four admit to driving after drinking an amount of alcohol which they know will affect their driving.
More than one in four drivers admit to driving the morning after having a lot to drink when they are likely to still be over the limit. Alcohol is estimated to cost UK companies around £700 million a year with between eight and 14 million working days lost each year due to alcohol use.
So who are the worst offenders? Certain types of driver are more likely to drink drive than others:
• Occupational drivers – in Brake’s survey, people who
drive for work are more likely to drink drive.
• Car drivers are most likely to fail a
breath test, followed by motorcyclists.
• Young drivers aged 17 to 24 have the highest level of drink
drive crashes per distance travelled.
• Male drivers – 89% of convictions for dangerous driving
while under the influence of alcohol in 2002 were men.
Of the 20,060 people killed or injured in drink drive crashes in 2002 there were:
• 740 pedestrians including 120 children.
• 140 cyclists including 40 children.
• 6,930 car passengers including 850 children.
• 720 passengers in other vehicles including 40 children.
• Plus many drivers and motorcyclists who had not been
drinking themselves but were hit by drink drivers.
So what is the law on the drink drive limit?
The current limit in the UK is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. This is significantly higher than the majority of EU countries, many operating to 50mg per 100ml. Research shows that a driver’s judgement and motor skills are affected when they are still below the legal alcohol limit. Brake would like to see the limit reduced to 20mg per 100ml of blood.
What are the charges and penalties?
If a driver is found to be over the drink drive limit and/or driving while impaired by alcohol, they can receive a maximum penalty of six months in prison and an unlimited fine. Anyone convicted must also receive a one-year disqualification.
A driver who kills someone while under the influence of alcohol can be charged with death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs. This carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
The advice from Lorna and the team at Brake is: NEVER DRINK ANY AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IF YOU ARE DRIVING.
The current Think! Christmas Drink Driving campaign for Christmas 2007 is currently under development by the Government.
Following the successful launch of the new approach in July 2007, the Government plans to continue with the same strategy for Christmas, starting TV advertising from December 1. It also focuses on how a drink driving conviction can ruin lives with both legal and personal consequences.
This can include a hefty fine, having a criminal record, losing a job, not being able to drive or suffering with a personal relationship.
For more information on road safety issues in general, take a look at Brake’s website www.brake.org.uk or ring 01484 559909. Remember that Brake also offers a bereavement counselling service for people whose lives have been affected by fatal road traffic accidents. To contact this service, please ring 0845 603 8570.
Published Winter 2007. All information correct at time of print
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