You risk losing their job or face difficulty getting work if you drink and drive this Christmas, the Government’s latest THINK! drink drive campaign has warned. The campaign highlights the snowball effect a drink drive conviction can have on job prospects. Up to one million people work in jobs they could lose as a result of a drink-drive conviction, while a survey has shown that almost a third (27%) of people would have to give up their job because they rely on a car to get to work.
People who drive as part of their job are particularly vulnerable but someone with a conviction could also be denied access to millions more jobs which are eligible for criminal records checks. These jobs include professional driving jobs, teachers, care workers and jobs in banks and finance.
Any employer can ask to see unspent criminal convictions and research shows that three-quarters of employers admit to taking a criminal conviction into account during the recruitment process.
Launching the ‘Snowball Effect’ drink drive campaign, Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said: “For many people Christmas is about spending time with friends and family and celebrating, but if drivers have a tipple they should not get behind the wheel. Just one drink can put you over the limit and the consequences are devastating – not only will you be cuffed and put in a cell, but if you’re convicted you will lose your licence and, as this research shows, you could even lose your job.
Edmund King, Automobile Association president, said: “Drink drive convictions have dramatic and traumatic snowball effects. One third of people will lose their jobs and experience years of hiked insurance premiums. A snowball might melt away quickly whilst the effects of a driving ban last way beyond any winter thaw. If you are going to drive – don’t drink. If you are going to drink – don’t drive.”
And Simon Edwards, head of logistics at recruiting firm Manpower, said: “In this highly competitive job market a drink drive conviction puts you at a serious disadvantage. It is very common for a client making a decision between two otherwise equal applicants to favour the individual without a drink drive conviction. And with the boom in ecommerce and the exponential rise in the dot.com delivery market a conviction rules candidates out from a new and growing industry. Everyday I see the devastating impact of a conviction on a candidate’s ability to get or retain a job and the limits this puts on future opportunities.”
Meanwhile a recent survey by Drink Driver Education has shown that 28 per cent of people with convictions worry about applying for jobs in case they conduct a criminal records check.
A third of respondents said not being able to drive limited their choice of job while 47pc said their social lives had been affected because they were unable to visit family or friends.
Around the regions
Dorset Police Force, for example, will release to the media the names and court appearances of all drivers charged with drink or drug driving-related offences during the campaign, and everyone who is involved in a collision during December will be breath tested, irrespective of whether they are suspected of drink-driving or not.
Greater Manchester Police are calling for abstinence not restraint from drivers, calling their campaign ‘None for the Road’.
South Yorkshire Police are urging people to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously if they know of someone who regularly drives with alcohol or drugs in their system.
Comment
drug and alcohol misuse policies and testing. ScreenSafe have recently partnered the Road Haulage Association (RHA) to introduce the ‘RHA Smart Test’ for its members.
Matt Taylor, Managing Director of ScreenSafe, says: “Most hauliers strive to run the safest possible fleets, but there’s no immunity for people from becoming addicted simply because their job comprises a high health and safety risk. A drug and alcohol policy, one that includes testing, will seek to educate staff about the risks, as well as act as a deterrent to putting their jobs or indeed lives in jeopardy, through driving whilst under the influence of drugs. We’re very grateful that the Traffic Commissioner has agreed to add her comments too.”
