Fourteen late-night Gloucester venues have joined a campaign to encourage people to avoid drink driving by offering designated drivers free soft drinks.
Bars, pubs and clubs across the city including: Portivo Lounge, Tank, Turks Head, Cafe Rene, Tigers Eye, The Sword Inn, The Fountain Inn, The Abbey, Doctors, Fever, Butlers, The Vine, Club Urban, ATIK have all agreed to take part in the C.LIVE campaign. Venues will display a ‘Drivers Drink 4 Free in this Venue’ poster as part of the #dontdrinkanddrive campaign. For a free soft drink, the designated driver can show their car keys at the bar.
Chair of Licensed Victuallers Associations (LVA) Justin Hudson said, ‘These venues support our campaign throughout Gloucestershire, working in partnership with Gloucester LVA. Here’s hoping that this has that positive effect on customers behaviours – and it makes that difference.’
Owner of The Vine bar on Eastgate, Angela Lovell said, ‘We think it’s a really well thought out idea and we welcome responsible designated drivers into The Vine to enjoy free soft drinks throughout the campaign festive period.’
The campaign coincides with the Gloucestershire Constabularies Anti-Drink and Drug Driving campaign taking place across the county throughout December 2021.
Drivers are being warned not to get behind the wheel after a pint too many this Christmas and motorists can expect more roadside police checks both in urban and rural areas across the county during the festive clamp-down.
The campaign, coordinated by Gloucestershire Constabulary with Gloucestershire County Council, Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service, and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, aims to educate drivers of the dangers and penalties they could face by getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or drugs and to blow some of the myths associated with drink driving.
Chief Inspector Al Barby said: ‘We will be out in force over the Christmas period and would ask that people consider their actions before getting behind the wheel. We all know of the profound impact that driving after having been drinking or taking drugs can have on people, and so we will be ensuring that those who ignore this advice will be targeted.’
In the last 50 years road casualties caused by drink driving have fallen dramatically. However, on average 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in the UK in a drink drive related collision.
Link to article: https://www.gloucesterbid.uk/news/dont-drink-and-drive/
