Young Londoners urged to take 'zero alcohol' approach to drinking and driving at Christmas

Young men successful London are being urged to spell “zero alcohol” arsenic portion of a Government run to tackle portion driving astatine Christmas.

They are being advised not to portion intoxicant astatine each – alternatively than trying to enactment beneath the ineligible bounds – to trim the menace they are to themselves and others erstwhile they get down the wheel.

London has the lowest casualty complaint successful the state from drink-drive collisions passim the year.

Across the wider South-East excluding London, determination were 940 alcohol-related collisions successful 2022 resulting successful 1,320 casualties, including 50 fatalities.

Across Great Britain, December is not the worst period for drink-driving collisions. In 2022, the largest fig of collisions were recorded successful June – a full of 430, compared with 380 for December.

A full of 630 casualties resulted from the drink-drive collisions successful June – and the aforesaid fig successful July.

Lilian Greenwood, the aboriginal of roads minister, told The Standard: “Unfortunately portion driving remains a occupation crossed the country, and adjacent present successful London, and radical portion much astatine Christmas.”

She said that 16 to 24-year-olds accounted for 23 per cent of casualties. More than two-thirds are male.

“This run is specifically targeting them due to the fact that they are the radical that are much apt to portion and drive,” Ms Greenwood said, during a sojourn to the Two Bridges pub successful London Bridge to determination a 0% pint.

“What we’re highlighting successful this run is ‘don’t person a drink’ – don’t person one, oregon opt for the zero per cent options. You tin consciousness portion of the assemblage but you tin support yourself and everyone other safe.

“London is 1 of the areas successful the UK with less cases of drink-driving. People person an enactment to leap connected the autobus oregon the Tube, but galore Londoners inactive thrust and it’s a overmuch larger fig than it has to be. We request to halt this happening.”

She added: “We urge that radical don’t portion and thrust astatine all, due to the fact that it’s casual for idiosyncratic to deliberation they’re conscionable going to person one, past things get retired of hand.

“Drinking and driving puts you astatine hazard of losing your licence and harming yourself oregon others.”

An estimated 290 to 320 radical were killed successful collisions successful Great Britain wherever astatine slightest 1 operator was implicit the drink-drive limit.

This is the highest level since 2009, and an summation compared to 2021, though postulation levels were little than mean owed to the pandemic.

Overall, an estimated 6,800 radical were killed oregon injured erstwhile astatine slightest 1 operator was implicit the drink-drive limit.

However, the fig of drink-drive casualties of each severities has steadily decreased implicit the past decade.

Scotland has a little drink-drive bounds (22 micrograms (mcg) per 100 millilitres (ml) of enactment oregon 50 milligrams (mg) per 100ml of blood) than England and Wales (35 mcg per 100ml of enactment oregon 80 mg per 100ml of blood).

The percent of each casualties which occurred successful drink-drive collisions was the highest successful Wales astatine 7.9 per cent followed by Scotland astatine 5.5 per cent and England astatine 4.9 per cent.

Within England, the casualty rates varied from 7.2 per cent successful the East Midlands to 2.7 per cent successful London.

The Government’s Think! run is supported by Heineken and Fuller’s and encourages young drivers to instrumentality to 0% drinks this Christmas.

The run includes 0% branding connected drip mats and t-shirts worn by barroom staff.

Lucy Straker, campaigns manager astatine roadworthy information foundation Brake, said: "Drivers who drink-drive are not capable to measure their ain impairment due to the fact that intoxicant creates a mendacious consciousness of confidence.

“This means that drivers are much inclined to instrumentality risks and judge they are successful power erstwhile they are not.

“Dangerous and irresponsible roadworthy usage tin person devastating consequences.”