Despite the reduction in the number of drink drive casualties, one in seven road deaths are still related to the mixing alcohol and driving. But it's not just alcohol that impairs our ability to drive - illegal and prescribed drugs can seriously reduce your performance.

Compared with 10 years ago, five times as many people killed in road accidents had a trace of an illegal drug in their body. The vast majority of people don't take illegal drugs but have you checked the label on your prescribed drugs? Did it warn you about not driving? Did you follow its advice? Fatigue too is now being recognised as one of our biggest hidden problems. Tiredness kills and it may be a major cause of up to 10% of all accidents.

What's Devon County Council doing to help?

• Drink-Drive Awareness Courses are run by Devon County Council for those who have been convicted of drink offences. Please contact the Devon Drivers’ Centre for details.
• We offer consultancy and training services to local companies, which highlight the effects of drink, drugs and drowsiness
• Drivers throughout Devon can expect to be reminded constantly about the dangers presented by drink, drugs and drowsiness through local and national media.
  
  An example of this work is the promotional event organised for Christmas 2004 with our partners in the Department for Transport and Devon and Cornwall Police.  On Wednesday 15 December 2004 Devon County Council’s Road Safety Team supported the Devon and Cornwall launch of the new Department for Transport’s Christmas drink drive campaign.

• Staff from the JD Wetherspoon pub chain served non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails at the M5 Moto services in Exeter, while the Exeter Road Safety Officer and the Team’s Alcohol Awareness Trainer joined forced with the police to give advice to members of the public.

• The partnership of Devon County Council, the Government News Network, and Devon & Cornwall Police proved to be effective at gaining media support, as the event was covered by both BBC and ITV television channels, BBC Radio Devon, Gemini FM and various newspaper groups. Reporting of the event began at 6am and ran right through to the late evening news. The road safety team were able to provide live testimonials from former drink drivers who had attended our awareness courses and as a result changed their approach to drinking and driving. We were also able to provide expert advice with regard to the effects of alcohol - explaining that even a small amount of alcohol can impair driving ability.

• The Road Safety Team’s aim was to highlight the importance of education with regard to drink driving and to reinforce the current work being undertaken in this area. Throughout 2004 the team have being trying to raise awareness of the issue of “driving under the influence”, incorporating not only driving whilst under the influence of alcohol but also whilst under the influence of drugs, be they illegal, prescribed or over-the-counter medications. You may have seen the Drugs/Alcohol/Driving – Not a Safe Trip bus backs that have been travelling throughout the county during December and January or heard the radio adverts on Gemini Radio.
  
  
• Our December 2004 Bus Back advertisement is available by selecting Drug and Alcohol Advertisement (137KB - pdf help)
• Please select  Breath Test for an example of our promotional images from the December 2004 event.
• This event provided an excellent opportunity to reach the wider Devon community, at no expense to the Council and it follows on from previous successful publicity events held throughout 2004.

What part can you play?

• THINK!
• Don't mix drink or drugs with driving
• Check your prescription - if it advises you not to drive, don't
• Don't try to push yourself beyond your limits - if you feel tired, pull over and rest
• Try to avoid driving after a heavy lunch, or between midnight and 6am - these are critical times when you are most vulnerable to falling asleep at the wheel.

Further Information

Drugs can affect a driver's judgement, co-ordination, control of the vehicle, and can lead to severe fatigue - and there is now a website to educate drivers and their passengers about the dangers of driving after using drugs. Illegal drugs can affect your ability to drive. Whilst the dangers of drink driving are well known, people are less aware of the risks of driving when impaired through drugs.

The website, http://www.drugdrive.co.uk is the first government campaign to raise awareness of the impairment effects of drugs when driving. Aimed at 17-30 year olds the website gives information on the effects of different drugs, their impact on driving and contact details for more information.

• Visit the Road Safety news page for other up to date and archived press releases