West Berkshire motorists to be issued with self-test breathalysers
Christmas campaign aims to highlight 'morning after' effects of alcohol
MOTORISTS in West Berkshire will be issued with self-test breathalysers in an effort to crack down on ‘morning after’ drink drivers.
Around 1,000 kits will be available at a range of pubs across the district for customers to collect and take home while on a night out.
Drivers can then see if they are above the legal limit the following morning before getting in their car. The disposable breathalyser tube gives results in around two minutes.
The special drink drive Christmas campaign is a joint operation between West Berkshire Council and Thames Valley Police and aims to highlight the ‘morning after’ effects of alcohol.
The project is a continuation of last summer’s Blazed and Wasted campaign to highlight the issues and impacts associated with drink driving.
West Berkshire’s executive member for highways and transport, Garth Simpson, said: “No one intends to drive when they are over the limit, but it is a common misapprehension that alcohol is not in your system for long and that you will be fine the next day. The test and drive kit gives drivers the opportunity to know whether they are over the limit before getting into their car.”
He added: “This is not about stopping people enjoying themselves, quite the opposite.
“It is about helping drivers to be aware of the amounts they’re consuming and also flagging up the impact drink driving can have on their lives and the lives of others.”
The free kits will be available from the following Newbury pubs: Diamond Tap; The Hatchet; The Snooty Fox; The Newbury; Hogshead; The Plough; The Crucible; The Cross Keys; Old Waggon & Horses; Document House; and at The George in Lambourn and the Cottage Inn in Bucklebury.
A downloadable drinks calculator is also available from www.blazedandwasted.com which helps people to monitor their alcohol consumption in units and to calculate how long it would take for the alcohol to leave their system.
