19th
December 2006
Drink
Driving Crackdown Doesn’t take a Christmas Holiday
The Christmas drink driving campaign is
still in full swing, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Duncan McNeil, has warned
motorists who fancy one for the road.
“You might
be off on holiday, but the police officers who are enforcing the Christmas drink
driving crackdown are still hard at work,” Mr McNeil said today.
“And if you
get behind the wheel after one too many, a fine or jail could be the least of
your worries. Not only could you
kill yourself, your family or an innocent stranger, you could lose your licence
and possibly your job, house and more.”
He added:
“Christmas
is a great time to catch up with friends and family.
But, if you’re meeting up over a few drinks, don’t ruin your
Christmas or someone else’s. Leave
the car at home.”
Research
commissioned by the Scottish Executive in 2005 found that:
Around one in five drivers
say they have driven when they thought they might be over the limit and one
in twenty admit to having done so within the last year;
Around six out of ten
drivers have driven a vehicle within a few hours of drinking some alcohol.
Four in ten have done so within the past year;
Men, particularly younger
men aged between 17 and 26, are more likely to drink before driving; and
Drivers appear to be less
aware of the risks of “next day” driving.
ENDS
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