Free soft drinks to stop drink driving (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Free soft drinks to stop drink driving

5:30pm Friday 12th June 2009 in Belthorn By Ben Briggs

SAFETY FIRST: Landlady of the Grey Mare Rebecca Prince serves a soft drink to driver Yasmin Osborne

PUB goers will be offered free soft drinks to stop them from drinking and driving.

Anyone who volunteers to be a designated driver on a night out will be able to get their drinks for free and not pay for their colas or other soft drinks.

The Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety’s summer drink drive campaign comes as police officers step up their patrols to catch drink drivers.

The scheme will be launched on Friday and will then be rolled out across the county in the coming weeks.

The following pubs are taking part from Friday: The Knowles Arms, Lammack, Blackburn; The Grey Mare Inn, Belthorn; Baroque, Blackburn town centre; Feilden Arms, Mellor Brook; FJ Nichols, Blackburn and The Bay Horse Inn, Osbaldeston.

On Saturday the scheme will be available at the following pubs: The Hare and Hounds, Clayton-le-Moors; The Whitaker’s Arms, Accrington; The Peel Park Hotel, Accrington; Walkabout Inn, Burnley; Big Window, Burnley; Hapton Inn, Hapton; The Inn at Burnley Wharf; The Red Lion, Colne; and The Station Freehouse, Nelson.

Steve Prince of The Grey Mare Inn, Grane Road, said: “I want all my customers to have a great time out but get home safely.

“We have invited the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety to the pub at a busy time to chat to our customers about how they intend to get home.

“The team will give friendly local advice about buses and taxis for those who are drinking alcohol and offer to buy a top up for those sticking to soft drinks because they are driving. I think it is a great idea as it will certainly help everyone think twice about hitting the road after drinking.”

Nearly one in seven deaths on the roads involve drivers who are over the legal alcohol limit.

“There is evidence that shows that even from the first mouthful of alcohol, the brain’s activity is impaired including the ability to judge speed and distances and react quickly enough.”

Linda Sanderson, communications manager for Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said: “Crucially, alcohol also interferes with your judgement as to whether you are safe to drive.

“The decision to have the first drink can be the decision that kills. We will be rewarding those drivers that have elected not to drink a drop and we are very grateful for the responsible attitude of the publicans supporting us.”