Minister launches Welsh drink drive campaign

The joint Welsh Assembly Government and Welsh Police Christmas campaign against drinking and driving was launched on 4 December by Brian Gibbons, the Assembly’s deputy minister for economic development and transport.

"After 30 years of campaigns some people will wonder why we insist on continuing the don’t drink and drive message," Mr Gibbons said. "I have heard it said that surely, after all this time, the message has got through. Sadly it has not. It is at Christmas, which should be the happiest time of the year, that the dangers of drinking and driving are cruelly brought home to far too many families in the form of injury and loss of life. "

As a pilot exercise, the Assembly, in conjunction with Traveline Cymru, has produced posters and beer mats to be placed in pubs and clubs in Cardiff and Wrexham, which remind people that being over the limit at night can also mean being over the limit in the morning.

The campaign also features two new radio commercials released by the DfT in November, which reinforce the anti drink drive message. One, entitled ‘Night Out’, is aimed at young men going to a club and having a few drinks. The other, ‘Rights’, is aimed at the slightly older age group of 24 to 29 years old and brings home the repercussions of losing your licence.

Dr Gibbons also presented prizes to the winners of a drink-drive competition open to children and young people. The competition, to design a poster aimed at discouraging drinking and driving, was split into senior and junior categories, with the winners collecting £75 and a framed certificate.

The overall winning poster, designed by Rachel Mayers of Cefn Saeson School, Cimla, Neath Port Talbot has been distributed to police and road safety officers throughout Wales.