Drink driving.

The current UK law entails that if a person decides to drink, but is planning on driving straight after, that by law they should only limit the amount of units of alcohol they consume; 4 units for men and 3 for women. So why is it then that so many driving offences and vehicle collisions are alcohol related? Perhaps it is fair to assume that some people cannot stop at just one drink and after consuming more than one unit, feel invincible and believe that they are in a fit state to drive.

What is astonishing is the fact that people go out with the intention to drink, yet they take their car with them. Why not just get a taxi? Or find someone else that is the ‘designated driver’ for the evening? It is understandable that some people like to go out with their friends and have a few drinks, or go for a meal and have a drink to accompany it. But is it really worth the risk to endanger themselves or others, or face the prospect of losing their licence and receiving a fine if caught by the police? It is fair to say that alcohol alters a person’s perception and they don’t believe that their behaviour is wrong.

The media is proof that drink driving is on the rise. There have been a countless number of campaigns set up over the past few years, be it tv adverts, billboard posters or newspaper advertisements that warn against the effects of drink driving. They are extremely efficient in what they aim to achieve as they show graphic images or videos to target those who feel it is ok to drink and drive. A major company who aim to raise the awareness of safe driving is Think! and an example of one their tv adverts to combat the problem can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeIWMp24fpE

Hopefully in the long term these campaigns will have an effect on drink drivers and stop them from committing the crime that can have major consequences on their lives.