With the festive season well underway drink and drug drivers are being targeted in a crackdown by Merton Council and the police.
With the festive season well underway drink and drug drivers are being targeted in a crackdown by Merton Council and the police.
The Christmas period brings an extended social calendar for most and the public are being urged to avoid the temptation of getting behind the wheel after drinking.
Police and council officers will be patrolling Merton’s roads to educate and warn drivers about the risks of drink and drug driving.
Merton Council’s cabinet member for planning and traffic management, Councillor William Brierly, said: “We want to encourage drivers to think carefully about their actions.
“A split second decision can have a serious and devastating effect on the lives of many.
“Irresponsible driving can not only harm the driver but could have terrible consequences for drivers in the area.”
The police will also carry out random breathalyser tests with commuters at Wimbledon station and will warn people about driving the day after a heavy drinking session, when you can still be over the limit.
According to road safety group Think, someone twice over the legal limit is 30 times more likely to cause a road crash than someone who hasn’t been drinking.
A spokesman for the group said the safest way to act if driving would be to drink nothing at all.
“Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive. There is no foolproof way of staying under the limit or knowing how much is a safe amount to drink before safely driving.”
Wimbledon resident Jonathan Price believes the proposal will help keep drink driving at the forefront of people’s minds.
“Sometimes it’s very easy to fall in to the ‘It’s just a couple of pints’ trap, even more so at this time of year.
“I think this will make people more aware of the dangers involved in drink driving and will hopefully get the message across.”
Police will also be stepping up checks for drivers using mobile phones and not wearing seat belts.
For more information visit www.merton.gov.uk/roadsafety
