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Don’t gamble with your lives urge cops

Katrina McKeever
29/11/2006

THOSE who take a chance on driving home after a few drinks at the office party are gambling with their lives, warn Cheshire police.

The message comes at the launch of a hard hitting Christmas campaign on the theme "Who will be taking you home tonight?"

Posters featuring an ambulance, hearse, police van and even a coffin will be splashed across Wilmslow in the coming weeks, to drive home the message that people risk ending their journey in tragedy if they drink or take drugs and drive.

And they could also risk loosing their licence and much worse, as police will step up road side breath testing in the run up to Christmas.

Cheshire Police's Assistant Chief Constable David Baines said: "Drink driving and drug driving are two of the major reasons for road deaths in this country. Every year people of all ages make a choice to drive after consuming alcohol and or drugs.

"This decision is often the last one they make or the one they most regret, when after colliding with an innocent party they are prosecuted and face a prison sentence. This year we are asking the question 'Who will be taking you home tonight?' in the hope that this simple phrase will encourage people to think before they make that decision."

Cheshire Police will be out in force again this year, testing for drink and drugs.

Last year this area was in the top five nationally for the number of tests carried out in December, when 4420 were breath tested resulting in 225 arrested.

David Baines said: "The message should be clear if you take the risk you stand a very good chance of being stopped, arrested and prosecuted, don't choose the hearse, the ambulance or the police car"

Richard Nickson, Cheshire County Council's chief road safety engineer, said: "I hope this sends out the message that wherever you travel, if you take the risk and drive having consumed alcohol or drugs, there is a significant chance that you will be stopped.

"This work has the potential to save lives and I urge everyone to do their bit by sorting out alternative transport beforehand if they know they are going to be unfit to drive.

"If everyone takes this responsibility and encourage their friends to do the same, Cheshire's roads will be a lot safer this Christmas and New Year."

Drinking and driving occurs across a wide range of age groups but particularly among young men aged 17-29 in both casualties and positive breath tests following a collision.

Nearly one in six of all deaths on the road nationally involve drivers who are over the legal alcohol limit.