As part of our campaign to put a stop to drink driving, Julie Townsend, campaigns director at road-safety charity Brake, explains why the problem still haunts our roads, contrary to what we might think. One of the phrases you hear a lot in conversations about drink driving is we succeeded in making drink driving socially unacceptable”. But while it’s true that drink-drive casualties are far fewer than two decades ago, drink driving is not a problem that has gone away.
Drink driving remains a major killer, accounting for one in six road deaths. That’s seven deaths and 28 serious injuries per week in Britain. Brake runs a helpline for people whose lives have been torn apart by a bereavement or serious injury on our roads, so we hear first-hand the appalling devastation these casualties cause. And yet these casualties are preventable – and we believe, therefore, we shouldn’t tolerate any number on our roads. So why are significant numbers of people continuing to drink and drive?
Driver surveys by Brake suggest there is a lack of understanding about the effects of alcohol and how long those effects last. Put simply, many people wrongly believe that it’s fine to have a drink or two and then get behind the wheel, because they don’t feel ‘drunk’ and believe they will still be under the limit. Yet research shows that even very small amounts of alcohol have significant effects on reaction times and judgement – and therefore your ability to drive safely. And because alcohol impedes your inhibitions, once you’ve had one or two drinks, you’re more likely to convince yourself that you’re fine to drive, or even give in to temptation to drink more and then get behind the wheel.
That’s why our message to drivers is simple – if you’re driving, commit to staying off the booze altogether. And if you’re planning to have even one or two drinks, make sure you can get home safely by public transport, taxi, or with a designated driver who sticks to soft drinks.
We believe we also need action from the government to tackle the scourge of drink driving. Not only do we need more awareness campaigns to address the lack of understanding, and greater levels of police enforcement, but we also need our drink-drive law changed.
Our drink-drive limit is the highest in Europe, contributing to the myth that one or two drinks before driving is safe. We’re urging the government to take a zero-tolerance approach and lower our limit from 80mg to 20mg alcohol per blood – to send out a clear message that, if we’re to put a stop to the needless tragedies caused by drink driving, it should be ‘none for the road’.
Brake is a national charity working to prevent road deaths and injuries, and supporting people who are bereaved and seriously injured. Find out more at www.brake.org.uk. Read Brake’s campaign blog at stopthecarnage.wordpress.com.
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