Motorists across the country are being encouraged to pledge their commitment to taking to the roads in a responsible manner this festive season by avoiding the use of alcohol or drugs if they plan to get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Road safety charity Brake is calling on all motorists to understand the dangers they pose to both themselves and other road users when they engage in these reckless activities, as just a single drink can increase an individual's likelihood of being involved in an accident by three times.

Deputy chief executive at Brake Julie Townsend commented: "Drink and drug-driving deaths and injuries are cruel and needless, ending and ruining lives and leaving traumatised families to pick up the pieces.

"If you're driving home from celebrations this festive season, it's vital you take your responsibility for people's safety seriously and stay completely off booze and drugs. It's a fact that even small amounts of alcohol or drugs increase your risk of crashing."

Furthermore, the charity has welcomed the Scottish government's decision to reduce the legal limit for alcohol consumption for all road users in Scotland from 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood to just 50 mg from this month.

It is a move designed to discourage more people from taking the risk of drinking and driving, while also ensuring those who do take to the roads after consuming alcohol are more likely to be punished for their actions.

Ms Townsend argued that the rest of the UK should now follow suit and implement a similar change in law to decrease the permissible amount of alcohol in a person's system when they take charge of a vehicle.

Indeed, the UK currently has one of the highest limits for legal alcohol consumption in the whole of Europe and the Brake chief claimed this sends the wrong message to motorists that drinking and driving is acceptable, when it clearly is not.

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This story was posted by Daniel Crosby, Assistant Marketing Executive at the Fuel Card Group.