Campaign conveys the “grim reality” of a drink drive conviction

The names of 13 people charged in the first two weeks of a Christmas drink drive “crackdown” have been released by the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership (Western Daily Press).

The partnership’s "Eat, think and be merry" campaign began at the start of December and will run until the beginning of January.

The campaign reminds people of the “true consequences” of a drink drive conviction, citing the IAM’s claim that a drink drive conviction could cost between £20,000 – £50,000 as a result of fines, solicitors fees, an increase in car insurance and the loss of a job.

The campaign includes quotes from convicted drink drivers, including ‘Suzanne’, a married mum of two, who was banned from driving following a collision on her way home from lunch.

She said: “I’d had two or three glasses of wine with lunch. I felt fine and I thought it would be ok to drive. I was only three miles from home, after all.

“Unfortunately I had a bump, colliding side on with an oncoming car as I went round a bend. Apparently I veered over the centre line of the road. Thankfully nobody was hurt – I would never ever have forgiven myself if they had been.”

‘Ed’, a 24 year old from Cheltenham, said: “When I was handed my sentence my whole life as I knew it was turned upside down. From that moment for the rest of my life I had a criminal conviction.”

Talking to the Western Daily Press, roads policing inspector Kevin Roseblade said: “It’s hard to comprehend how people still haven’t got the message about drink driving.

“The dangers and possible implications for the driver and other road users have been clear for a long time – so there really is no excuse for doing it.

"We will be keeping up the pressure and conducting regular roadside checks, as well as breath testing anyone involved in a road traffic collision, throughout the festive season.

“Our key message this year is very simple – eat, think and be merry.”