Drink drive scheme can crack down on offenders - Cambridgeshire police
The force is running its 'I'm DES' scheme this month
Last updated 27th Dec 2024
Police in Cambridgeshire are hoping a move to help discourage drink driving over the Christmas period will pay off.
The force is running its 'I am DES' scheme this month, where designated drivers are given free or discounted soft drinks from participating venues.
But only 14 venues are known to have signed up.
The initiative, led by the Vision Zero Road Safety Partnership, aims to reduce the number of road collisions caused by drink driving during the festive period.
PC Nick Southern is Cambridgeshire Police's casualty reduction officer:
"I'm under no illusion it's not as easy as just offering unlimited free soft drinks because that's not sustainable," he said.
"Whether that's half price drinks, buy one get one free, they're still making a positive contribution towards reducing those KSIs (people killed or seriously injured).
"It's not about the numbers signing up, if even one of these venues prevents one drink driver from getting behind the wheel, it's a huge success."
To take part in the December scheme, people need to let staff in participating venues know they are the designated driver and, if asked, to show their car keys.
Aim to halve road deaths by 2030
Between 2014 and 2018, an average of 469 people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were killed or seriously injured on the county's roads, with the aim to halve this figure by 2030.
There were 726 suspected drink and drug drivers arrested in the county between January and November this year, compared to 781 arrests last year and 812 in 2022.
Police say calls to the confidential hotline more than doubled last year, with 13 in December compared to six in November.
"If you call us and think 'the police will probably not come out to this so what's the point' - the statistics show if you call us, we will go out to it," Mr Southern added.
"You're with a group of people, you're the designated driver, everybody's having a drink and it can be very tempting to think you can have one drink and be okay.
"Our message is never have a drink and drive."