Not all drink-drivers this Christmas will be young men, say West Yorkshire Police, as they challenge people’s perceptions about who will be drink driving.
The force is supporting the national drink drive campaign, reminding people that it is not always the “Not The Usual Suspects” that drink drive over the festive period. The campaign illustrates deliberate stereo-type characters to challenge the public perception about those who they think may be drink driving this December and reminding people to not drive after drinking alcohol.The campaign officially launched on December 1, and runs until January 1.
Sergeant Gary Roper of the Force’s Roads Policing Support Unit said: ‘‘Driving while under the influence of drink or drugs is always a significant danger, but at Christmas the risks are even more prevalent with darker nights, bad weather and sadly, more people taking the risk by drinking or using drugs and then getting behind the wheel.
“Statistically, young men do form a large proportion of those whom we stop for drink driving, however we are seeing more and more men, and increasingly women aged over 35 who are drink driving, many with the attitude ‘it’ll never happen to me.’ It is quite harrowing as many of the people in this age range have been targeted by decades of campaigns about the dangers of drinking before getting behind the wheel. Last December, 43.% of everyone we arrested for drink driving offences were aged over 35.
“These are people from all backgrounds, ethnicity and genders. Many of them have professional careers, they may have children and grandchildren and yet they are still choosing to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. We want to continue to drive home the message and make drink driving socially unacceptable no matter how old you are.
‘‘Each year we stop hundreds of people who are clearly not in a fit state to drive through drink or drugs. The 2016 campaign is about hammering home the message that on a daily basis people across West Yorkshire are risking theirs and other people’s lives and that drink or drug driving has extremely serious consequences.’’
A conviction for driving while under the influence of drink and drugs will lead to a criminal record, a driving ban of at least a year and a fine up to £5,000, police point out.
Sgt Roper added: ‘‘The effect of a drink driving conviction can be devastating. Drivers are three times more likely to die in a road traffic collision if they have been drinking. In my time as an officer, I have seen people lose their job, career and relationships. If you’re going out to drink any amount please leave your car keys at home or allocate a designated driver. Driving after having a drink is simply not worth the risk.’’
“The number of drink driving charges is decreasing nationally which is a step in the right direction. While we would like to think that this is because people are more aware of the dangers of getting behind the wheel after a few drinks, the reality is that the decline is small and there are still plenty of people out there willing to take the risk. Many people are those we have been targeting for some years, who will have seen decades of drink driving campaigns but still take the risk.”
