DON''T DRINK AND DRIVE
24 December 2006 - IAM Institute of Advanced Motorists

There can be fewer better bits of advice than the old seasonal favourite - don''t drink and drive.

Actually, drinking and driving is a year round problem but there is a peak at Christmas and the New Year that sees more than its fair share of drink related problems on our roads. That’s why a police crackdown netting drunk drivers has become a regular fixture.

So here are four drink drive related tips designed to keep you safe during the festivities:

1. If you are going to drive, don''t drink. And if you are going to drink, don''t drive. Resist the temptation to have ''just one'' to be social if you are the driver: you may be technically legal but your driving may well be affected;

2. When it''s your turn not to drink, offer to be the designated driver and be prepared to take others home if you can rather than let them drive;

3. If you are going to drink, remember that you may not be entirely alcohol free the next day. Motorists making a conscious decision to leave the car at home before their big night out may think they have done the responsible thing. But if they have to drive to work first thing the next morning, the alcohol may not have ''cleared the system'' over night. Allow at least 24 hours between the bottle and the throttle - one night''s drunken sleep may not have done it; and

4. Watch out for drunken pedestrians. Even if you are fully sober and alert, a host of roadside revellers may not be - so you may find yourself having to cope with people walking into the road with no warning. It''s a hard enough to keep an eye on developing road hazards, without having to watch the pavement too. But if you find yourself in lane one driving close to drunks, and they are perilously close to the kerb, be prepared for anything. Slow down so you have enough time to respond.

www.iam.org.uk

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