Steer clear of alcohol on your festive journeys

• GEM says plan your nights out to avoid the temptation of driving: book a taxi home, appoint a designated driver or stay the night at a friend’s house or hotel

• Last Christmas, police conducted nearly 50,000 breath tests; 9.5% of these were positive

• GEM calls for more high-visibility patrols by police officers across the Christmas and New Year period

As police forces across the country embark on this year’s seasonal drink-drive operations, GEM Motoring Assist is calling on drivers across the country to make safety their priority and ensure they take no risks with drinking and driving.

GEM urges everyone looking forward to a festive night out to ensure there’s no temptation to drive home afterwards. Pre-booking a taxi, agreeing a designated driver or making arrangements to stay at a friend’s house or hotel are sensible arrangements that remove the risks associated with drink driving.

GEM fully supports calls for a reduction in the drink-drive limit, which research shows would save at least 25 lives, and prevent a further 95 serious injuries every year3.

As part of the 2023 police operation to tackle drink driving, police officers conducted 49,812 breath tests, of which 9.5% were positive, failed or refused.2

The current limit in England and Wales is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Scotland reduced its drink-drive limit to 50 milligrams in 2014 to bring it in line with the vast majority of other European countries.

The message is clear, according to GEM: alcohol impairs judgement, and driving after drinking even a small amount of alcohol raises every driver’s risk of being involved in a collision.

Roads policing numbers may have fallen considerably in recent years, with fewer police breathalyser tests taking place, but the risks from drink driving haven’t gone away.

GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst says: “It’s shocking that 18 per cent of all road deaths should be drink-drive related because these are all entirely preventable. No one should be willing to risk driving after drinking alcohol.

“That’s why this Christmas we urge everyone to take personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others who share the road. It’s not about the risk of being caught, or trying to establish how much we can drink and remain legal.

“Impairment begins with the first sip. So if you’re drinking, then don’t drive. If you need to drive, then don’t drink alcohol.

“Forward planning takes away pressure to get behind the wheel, so we encourage you to plan your night out: book a taxi home, appoint a designated driver or stay the night at a friend’s house or hotel.”

“Alternatively, appoint a designated driver to enjoy a wider-than-ever selection of non-alcoholic drink options, including mocktails, juices and fruit punches as well as non-alcoholic beers, lagers, ciders and spirits.

“Some pubs even offer complimentary soft drinks to drivers during the festive season.”

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GEM Motoring Assist is a members’ motoring and road safety organisation in the UK. Our aim is to keep our members on the move… whether that’s through our breakdown recovery service or our motoring and road safety expertise.

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