Don't blow it campaign
8 June 2010
With the start of the World Cup just around
the corner, Kent Police,
Medway Council and Kent Highway Services
want to warn you about the effects and consequences of drink
driving.
At a time when people will be celebrating
their team’s success or commiserating when they lose it’s important
to remember that only one alcoholic drink is enough to cause an
accident.
One drink will slow a driver’s reaction time
and being at the drink drive limit (80mg of alcohol per 100ml of
blood limit) can increase your chance of a collision by up to six
times. The campaign will emphasise that there is no safe drink
drive limit and you don’t have to be drunk to be dangerous.
In conjunction with Medway Council & Kent
Highway Services, Kent Police will be particularly vigilant this
summer, looking out for drink and drug drivers. They are reminding
drivers that if you give a positive breath test or fail to provide
a specimen you will be arrested.
Drink driving the facts that you may not have heard:
- 73 people are killed by drink and drug
drivers every month on UK roads. That is 17 every week, or one
every 10 hours.
- The proportion of drink related road deaths
for the UK is one in six
- Most drink drive collisions happen between
midnight Thursday and midnight Sunday
- If you drive at twice the legal alcohol limit
you are at least 30 times more likely to cause a road collision
than a driver who hasn't been drinking, and 50 times more likely to
be involved in a fatal collision.
- Driving or attempting to drive while above
the legal limit or unfit through drink could lead to a 6 month
prison sentence together with a fine of up to £5,000 and
disqualification from driving for at least 12 months (3 years if
convicted twice in 10 years).
- Causing death by dangerous driving when under
the influence of drink or drugs can lead to up to 14 years
imprisonment together with an unlimited fine, disqualification from
driving for at least 2 years and a mandatory extended driving
test.
Road safety officers will be out and about on
the streets handing out red card/yellow card leaflets and whistles,
and going to pubs to place beer mats with the message 'don't blow
it' (your licence, their breathalyser that is) ahead of the England
games.
The towns they're in:
- 12th June Ashford (England game)
- 18th June Maidstone (England game - and
formal press launch)
- 23rd June Canterbury and Tonbridge (England
game)
- 26th June Dartford and Gravesend
- 3rd July Margate and Ramsgate
