DON'T DRINK OR DRUG-DRIVE OVER CHRISTMAS

Don't drink or drug-drive over ChristmasWith the run-up to Christmas well underway and with many festive activities taking place in the next few weeks, our personal injury solicitors are imploring with drivers to stay completely sober if driving home after Christmas activities. If a drop of alcohol or any other intoxicating substance enters a driver’s body, they must not drive home and must use public transport, taxis or alternative travel until they are completely certain they have sobered up completely.

We will always be here to help people who have suffered serious injuries or lost a loved one in a road traffic accident, and because of this front-line view, we appeal to every road user to stay sober when driving.

Over 2012, one-sixths of all UK road deaths were in motor vehicle accidents involving someone over the drink-drive limit, with drink-driving therefore responsible for 280 completely preventable deaths over the year, as well as 1,210 serious injuries. Drug-driving is thought to be behind an additional 200 deaths every year.

But even people who are below the drink-drive limit can be involved in unnecessary car accidents – using UCL Centre for Transport Studies research, road safety charity Brake estimated that 65 deaths in 2012 were caused by drunk-drivers who were still under the limit. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence research found people who had drank alcohol but were under the limit are three times more likely to lose their lives in a car accident than those who are completely sober.

Christmas Road Traffic Accidents

Christmas road traffic accidentsThere will undoubtedly be a lot of campaigns warning about drink-driving over Christmas, and the vast majority of drivers heed these campaigns and would never dream of doing so. Figures for the Christmas period last year released by the Association of Chief Police Officers showed that 175,831 drivers were breathalysed as part of the Christmas drink-drive clampdown, and 4.05% of these either gave a positive result or refused to take the test. This year, some police officers will also be armed with a drug-testing kit.

However, the fear of getting caught should not be your reason for only driving while sober – doing so is your duty as a responsible road user.

We are expecting to see a number of drink-drive related personal injury claims relating to accidents over Christmas. Each one of these will be a wholly unnecessary tragedy, leaving psychological trauma, ruined lives, devastated families and a huge range of other problems in their wake. Drink-driving is never necessary and is never permissible, and the needlessness of the injuries it inflicts makes it even more unforgivable.

We at Clearwater Solicitors hope you have a good, safe Christmas and a happy new year, and that you take responsibility for yourself and other people in the festive period. Please, do not be responsible for a ruined Christmas, or worse – don’t drive unless you are completely safe to do so.