Drinking and Driving This Festive Season

Having worked in both retail and a village pub over the festive season, I have seen it all and drinking and driving is just one of those things that I have seen happen in the past – and reported. Something about the festive season means people seem to forget the law, rules of the road or even safety for themselves, their passengers and other drivers and pedestrians – drinking and driving seems to become much more common when Christmas rolls around.

The Co-Operative have come up with this fab tool to find a designated driver for those Christmas drinks. Now in my family we are quite lucky that Steve rarely drinks so is nearly always the designated driver. The only time he isn’t is if we have arranged for someone else to be or for a taxi to come in advance.

The Co-Operative also conducted some research into people’s plans re: drinking & driving at Christmas and shockingly they found that plenty of people are admitting to drinking and driving whilst having passengers such as kids in the car! It shocks me that anyone would put their children, themselves, other passengers and innocent passers by at risk in this way. Sure, some people will get behind the wheel after two pints and perhaps be more with it than that person falling into the driver’s seat after eight whiskies but that’s not the point – if you’re over the limit, you shouldn’t be drinking and driving.

As a barmaid, I saw it all. Plenty of people drinking in my pub had lost their licences after being caught drinking and driving. The amount of times we had to take people’s keys off them and find them another way home was crazy – yet it always seemed to get worse around Christmas and New Year’s.

If you’re planning on going out this festive season, why not check out the Co-Operative’s fab designated driver tool – don’t even consider drinking & driving, after all it isn’t just you who’s at risk.

Collaborative Post