Three new films have been released as part of THINK!’s annual festive drink-drive campaign, which aims to encourage young men to step in if their mate is tempted to drink and drive.
The new films build on the award-winning #matesmatter campaign, devised last year, which THINK! says has led to the biggest shift in over a decade in young people’s attitudes towards drink driving.
One of the films sees friends in a pub intervene when a man picks up his car keys after he has been drinking, kicking the keys around the venue before they’re taken away by the landlady, who calls for a taxi.
Another shows a couple kissing, ignoring everything around them until a man picks up his car keys and goes to leave. The couple break the embrace and the boyfriend kisses the man as the girlfriend takes the keys, and says “Someone’s getting the bus home”.
The films will be broadcast online and on social media across the festive period as well as at football grounds, on Spotify and in pubs.
Jesse Norman, road safety minister, said: “Drink driving needlessly puts human lives at risk.
“Our hard-hitting THINK! campaigns have already shown a positive impact on road users, encouraging safer behaviour so as to reduce the number of people killed and injured.
“This festive season, the simple message is that friends need to step in and stop their friends from getting behind the wheel after drinking.”
‘Simple solutions’
A recent RAC survey showed more than two thirds of people would urge their friend not to drive if they thought they were over the limit.
THINK! says its 2018 festive campaign provides simple solutions to encourage 18 to 24 year-old men to step in if they see their friend trying to drive home after drinking any alcohol.
Pete Williams, RAC road safety spokesperson, said: “Drink-driving wrecks lives and we would encourage every driver to consider whether they really want to take the risk of mixing alcohol with being behind the wheel this Christmas.
“Regrettably, we have seen the number of people who admit to having driven while over the limit increase by 50% in the past 12 months from 8% to 12% so we welcome this hard-hitting campaign.
“It delivers a strong message that drink-driving is not acceptable, and also encourages people to speak up if they see their friends doing it.”
THINK! was established in 2000 as the Government’s designated road safety campaign and has become recognised internationally for its ‘iconic and groundbreaking’ campaigns that have challenged dangerous behaviours on Britain’s roads.
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