Road safety charity Brake is working in partnership with the Department for Transport and the Association of Chief Police Officers to highlight the dangers of drivers being intoxicated when in charge of a vehicle this Christmas.

Launched as part of the annual festive crackdown on drink and drug-driving across the UK, a month-long campaign is taking place across England and Wales that will see more motorists stopped and breathalysed by police as part of efforts to address this dangerous practice.

Be aware of the dangers

Overall, one in six road deaths (280 people) in 2012 could be attributed to either a drink or drug-related incident, while more than 1,200 serious injuries were sustained in this type of accident.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive at Brake, commented: "Drink and drug driving deaths and injuries are cruel and needless, ending and ruining lives and leaving behind traumatised families to pick up the pieces. If you're driving home from celebrations this festive season, especially if you're a designated driver, it's vital you take your responsibility for people's safety seriously.

"It's a proven fact that even small amounts of alcohol or drugs inflate your risk of crashing. So even if you feel okay after a drink, the reality is that if you get behind the wheel you're putting yourself and others in needless danger."

Individuals with just a small amount of alcohol in their bloodstream can find it difficult to assess their own level of impairment, as alcohol creates a false sense of confidence. This also means they are more likely to take risks and believe they are in control of their vehicle when they are not.

As such, Brake advises there are plenty of alternatives for individuals to having a drink during the upcoming festive season and should people plan to consume alcohol they should make alternative arrangements before heading out for how they will get home, such as walking, booking a taxi or getting public transport.

Indeed, the organisation is calling on all motorists to make a commitment this Christmas to "never drive after drinking any amount of alcohol – not a drop" and is even asking friends and loved ones of potential drink or drug-drivers to step in and take action if they feel that person is likely to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated.

Know how much alcohol you're consuming

Every individual responds differently to the amount of alcohol they consume; however, a single unit is categorised as 10ml of pure alcohol, while many beverages will express the amount of alcohol within them in terms of abv – alcohol by volume.

The typical British beer will contain around 3.5 to four per cent abv, while for many continental lagers this can rise to as high as six per cent abv.

Furthermore, bottles of wine from Europe will traditionally be around the 13 per cent abv mark, although many new world wines – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc – can be much stronger.

It is therefore important that anyone having a drink understands the amount of alcohol in each beverage they consume, as the legal limit for alcohol consumption in the UK is 80 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 ml of blood; although even the smallest amount of alcohol in the bloodstream can significantly impact an individual's coordination, response times and ability to drive safely and should therefore be avoided.

Furthermore, individuals who have been drinking the night before need to be aware that they could well still be over the legal alcohol limit for driving the following morning, so it always pays for motorists to err on the side of caution and abstain from alcohol consumption if they are either expected to drive on a night out or early the next day.

Ms Townsend concluded: "As a charity that supports bereaved and injured road crash victims, we witness the suffering that drink and drug driving inflict, and appeal to everyone to help put a stop to it."

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