Drink and Drug Driving Awareness

Merseyside Road Safety Partnership is raising awareness of the issues that surround drink and drug driving during the festive season. It’s been an especially difficult year for everyone and we know that the way we celebrate this Christmas and New Year will be very different from years gone by. However, it’s important to consider the following information about driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Driving after you have drunk alcohol or taken drugs either straightaway or the next day can impair your ability to drive. It may even be illegal, especially when it is impossible to know how they affect your body – as it is different for each person. Your weight, age, sex and metabolism; the kinds and amount of alcohol or drugs you consume; what you’ve eaten recently and your stress levels at the time are all determining factors.

You do not have to be over the legal limit to be unfit to drive. Alcohol affects your judgement of speed, distance and time. It affects concentration and makes you feel relaxed, even lethargic. It may affect your vision, reflexes and reactions. These are all vitally important elements of driving and critical for road safety.

We have information on the website about Alcohol and Driving, Drugs and Driving, Drink Driving Offences and Drug Driving Offences (with a list of drugs and their limits).

Knowsley Road Safety’s When will you be safe to drive? article in this month’s Knowsley News Online gives vital information about how any amount of alcohol in your body can affect your ability to drive safely, this article is also accompanied by a downloadable leaflet giving further information.

Remember coffee, water, taking a shower, rolling your window down to get some fresh air won’t help reduce the level of alcohol in your system. The only thing that will is TIME.

Stay safe and have a peaceful Christmas.

This year’s Make sure everyone gets home for Christmas campaign ads can be viewed here: