DRIVERS are being warned of the dangers of drinking before getting behind the wheel during the festive period.
Warwickshire County Council has launched a Stars Wars-themed campaign to raise awareness and to highlight that drinking any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive safely, even the morning after.
From 2012-2014, 14 people were killed and 182 seriously injured in Warwickshire and West Mercia following collisions where drink or drugs were involved.
Tying in with Thursday’s release of The Force Awakens, the campaign uses quirky designs and film quotes to highlight the consequences of driving under the influence.
The campaign will use social media, music streaming platforms and pub beer mats to encourage drivers not to drink at all, as even driving at the legal limit means you are between two and five times more likely to crash.
Motorists who don’t consider themselves drink-drivers are also warned they may still be unwittingly over the drink drive limit the morning after.
Warwickshire County Council safety spokesman Coun John Horner said: “We are asking people to consider other options when out celebrating over the festive season and think they might like a drink.
“In the towns, options include public transport, taxis and in the countryside, sharing nominated drivers can be arranged. Our aim is to highlight the fact that mixing drinking and driving simply isn’t worth the risk. Our message is very simple: If you’re driving, don’t drink any alcohol at all.”
Philippa Young, manager of the Traffic and Road Safety Group, said there were still people out there who felt they could gamble with drinking and driving.
She said: “Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. Remember also that you can still be over the limit well into the next day so you may need to plan an alternative way of getting to work the next morning.”
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/dontdrinkdrive for more information.
