Fire service spread the “mocktail” message
With the warmer weather and people enjoying afternoon barbecues or drinks in a pub garden, there may be a temptation to have ‘just one more’.
However even a very small amount of alcohol can affect someone’s ability to drive safely which is why the fire service is calling for drivers to drink ”mocktails” – cocktails without any alcohol in them.
Firefighters and the Road Safety Education Team will be bringing the mocktail message to shoppers 22nd June - Tesco in Faringdon from 10am to midday whilst warning of the dangers of drink driving.
They will also be explaining how drivers can still be over the limit after drinking the day before. Most people are not aware how long it takes for alcohol to leave the system but it is much longer than many think . On average it takes about one hour for a body to rid itself of each unit of alcohol plus one hour, starting from the time of the last drink.
Mick Clarke, Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service Road Safety Manager said: “A small amount of alcohol will influence your ability to judge speed and distances, and your reaction times may be slow.
“The only safe option is not to drink alcohol if you plan to drive, and never offer an alcoholic drink to someone else who is intending to drive. Encourage them to have a drink soft drink, or why not offer them a Mocktail instead.”
“If you’re driving to work or dropping the kids at school the next morning, don’t get caught out, you could still be over the drink drive limit, even if you feel fine. Know your limits and avoid heavy drinking the night before.”
“Drinking coffee, sleeping, or having a shower won’t work. Time is the only way to get alcohol out of your system.”
Mocktail recipes
Notes to editors:
This advice is part of Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service’s 365alive initiative. For more information visit
http://www.365alive.co.uk/wps/wcm/connect/micro/365alive/road+safety/on+...