Dry January; Life-Saving Benefits

There are many good reasons to make January alcohol free. It improves your health, sleep and energy levels, but there can be benefits for others too; some of them life-saving. One example is reducing the chance of driving while under the influence of alcohol and the potential devastating knock-on effect if you take that risk.

We know that our ability to drive safely reduces considerably when we drink, as it impacts our judgement, concentration, coordination, vision and reaction time at the very least. So how often do drink-related driving accidents happen, and why do some still put themselves and others at risk in this way?

While there are far fewer drink-drive related deaths on the roads now (230) compared to 1979 (1,640), impressive considering the vastly increased number of vehicles on the road, there has been a recent increase in drink-related road deaths with data from the Department for Transport showing a median figure of 250, the highest since 2009. In addition, and rather worryingly, England and Wales have the highest drink-drive limit in Europe.

If this isn’t enough persuasion, hearing the details of some real-life tragedies turns the statistics into shocking reality.

• A 23-year-old army corporal, who drank more than eight pints of lager before driving his car, crossed on to the wrong side of the road and crashed headfirst into an oncoming car killing Claire, 18, her sister Jenny, 15, and friend Carla. He was given a prison sentence of eight and a half years.

• A 28-year-old, just 2.5% under the alcohol limit, knocked 14-year-old Jordan over with his car as she crossed the road at a designated crossing.

• A 22-year-old road-rage driver, who was three times over the legal alcohol limit, chased a car following a minor bump and rammed it repeatedly until it ploughed into an oncoming car killing Kirsty, 17, and Luke, 18.

It’s no wonder road safety campaigners are calling for random drug and alcohol testing to be introduced as drink and drug driving-related crashes and deaths increase. In addition, with the potential to save 5,000 lives across the EU, a zero-tolerance drink-drive limit is being called for.

For support to reduce your alcohol intake, visit: Alcohol Change UK

For more on Winn Solicitors Dry January activities, visit our Campaign page at: Dry January 2020 

Links: 

DrinkDriving.org

Brake Charity

European Transport Safety Council

The Guardian Drink-Drive Deaths Article

7 Ways Alcohol Can Affect Your Driving Skills

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