The Government “isn’t doing enough” to tackle drink driving, according to Michael McAdam, founder of the ‘Don’t Be That Someone’ campaign.
Mr McAdam’s comments follow figures showing that more than 7,100 people were arrested in ACPO’s 2011 Christmas drink drive campaign – up 16% from the same period last year.
Don’t Be That Someone is tackling this issue by taking an active approach to informing 14–18 year olds about the dangers and consequences of drink-driving.
Mr McAdam says: “Research shows that driving attitudes are established well before the legal driving age. They stem from the influence of role models and are based on personal traffic experiences. Because of this, more needs to be done to inform young people about the dangers and consequences of drink-driving before they start learning to drive.”
Don’t be that someone comprises an educational programme with three bespoke lesson plans and two documentaries; the first showing the family and friends of a young man who was killed by a drink driver and a young woman who was seriously injured, and the second featuring a series of interviews with young people, showing what they think and how little they know about drink driving.
The campaign also looks at issues such as peer pressure, the responsibility of passengers, the after effects of causing serious injury or death and the possible consequences for families and the wider community.
Mr McAdam says “Don’t Be That Someone is being used by police, local authorities, youth offending teams, fire and rescue services” and is keen for it to become a national campaign.
For more information about the campaign, contact Michael McAdam .
