Rounding up drink-drivers is like shooting fish in a barrel these days. Police in England and Wales nabbed 6,613 of them over the Christmas period – more than 200 a day – prompting Vernon Duncan of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Crazy Accidents to describe the situation as disappointing.
According to figures quoted by the RSPCA, 32% of these drink-drivers were under the age of 25. “It is disappointing,” Duncan said, “that so many people are still not getting the message that drink driving is dangerous and can be avoided.”
Older drivers may perhaps already be aware that it can be avoided – and even that a good way of avoiding it is not consuming alcohol before taking charge of a motor vehicle.
“We cannot let up on drink-drive education,” Duncan confessed: “there are always new drivers to reach with the important messages, and others who need reminding.”
The number of drug-drivers also appears to getting dangerously high. Police administered so-called Field Impairment Testing to 20% more drivers this year than last. “This issue needs addressing,” Duncan insisted.
Anyone who doubts that Britain’s law enforcement community is taking the issue seriously should take a long hard look at this blood-curdling YouTube presentation.
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