Posted on Friday 26th August 2011
The problem with drinking and driving is... the MOURNING after!
Fact: You may feel fine but still be over the limit in the morning
Fact: 1 in 5 drivers found drink driving are caught in the morning
Penalty: Disqualification for at least 12 months
Penalty: Up to £50,000 fine and up to 6 months imprisonment
The message is clear – get behind the wheel while you are still over the limit and it could be ‘Game Over’ for you, passengers or innocent bystanders.
Why not try the 'morning after' calculator| and see how much alcohol is in your blood the morning after and at what point the alcohol has approximately left or will leave your system.
Figures show that about a third of accidents are caused by drivers high on drink or drugs - some 1,370 accidents. 43 per cent of those caught are aged 16 to 25! And nationally one in five caught drink driving are caught in the morning after the party. Summer weekends provide a peak in prosecutions.
No Belt, No Brains!
Don't forget to put your seatbelt on! Drivers and passengers aged 17-34 have the lowest seatbelt wearing rates and 21 per cent of those killed in accidents were not wearing seatbelts.
Staffordshire Police Superintendent Dave Holdway said: “It is a foolish mistake to think you are fit to drive on just a few hours of sleep - especially after consuming alcohol or taking drugs. You not only put your own life at risk, but the lives of the people you care about and other road users."
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service Stafford Area Commander Ian Housley said: “People under the influence of alcohol have slower reactions while driving and are less likely to put on their seatbelts. Without a seatbelt, the risk of fatal injury in a road traffic collision is far greater.
“Firefighters attend horrific crashes on a frequent basis and often have to cut casualties free from the wreckage of car crashes – it is not uncommon for those casualties to become fatalities.
“This can have a dramatic and life changing effect on families, bystanders and the emergency service workers themselves.
“If people were to see some of the incidents that we attend it would definitely make them reconsider drinking before getting behind the wheel.”
Visit http://www.staffssaferroads.co.uk/gameover| to find out more!