As Road Safety Minister Mike Penning launched this year's THINK! Christmas drink drive campaign, which will see designated drivers able to take advantage of the buy-one-get-one-free offer on soft drinks at more than 8,000 pubs and bars across the country, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has called for harsh drink-drive warnings to be added to alcoholic beverages.
"It's great to see the soft drinks companies getting involved, but the alcohol industry must take responsibility for this problem too," said IAM chief executive Simon Best. "It has agreed to put health information on 80 per cent of alcohol labels on UK shelves by 2013, but we want clear, drink-drive warnings included that are as hard hitting as the health warnings on cigarette labels."
This year's THINK! Campaign will be aimed at young men aged 17 - 29, who consistently feature at the top of drink-drive casualty figures. Designated drivers will be able to find participating venues using a 'Pub Finder' app for smartphones and advertising will target the group with radio advertising, posters in pub washrooms, online search activity and targeted Facebook advertising to remind drivers of the personal consequences of a drink drive conviction.
Paul Healy - 6 Dec 2011