Euro 2016 ‘Morning After’ campaign – a timely reminder for footy fans

Emergency Service & Military, Transport
Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation

With the big kick-off less than a weekaway,Morning After– a campaign to remind people how long it takes for alcohol to pass through the body – has launched its Euro 2016 campaign.

Coinciding with the tournament in France, the campaign will run from 10 June to 10 July 2016. There’s also arange of resources like the morning after ‘calculator’, whichcan be downloaded free of chargefrom Google Play and the App Store.

With four of the five home nations participating in Euro 2016, the tournament provides the perfect opportunity to issue a reminder of the dangers of morning after drink driving.

The campaign, which is being supported by The Road Safety Team at Transport for Bucks, will have a social media presence, using the hashtag#AvoidThePenalty, and will be promoted via the Morning AfterFacebookandTwitter pages.

Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation said, “Euro 2016 looks set to capture the imagination of a vast audience across Great Britain and Ireland.

“Fans, friends and families will come together at home, and in pubs and clubs to enjoy the matches and, in many cases, have a few celebratory drinks.

“So that no one takes any chances with driving in the morning, the campaign aims to provide a timely reminder of how long it actually takes for alcohol to pass through the body. It’s probably longer that you think, andthe last thing I want to see ismotoristsunwittingly driving while over the limit the ‘morning after’.”

Mr Shaw added, “Whatever team you are cheering for, enjoy the Euros and above all, stay safe the’Morning After’.”

The Morning After campaign

The Morning After campaign, which has been running for several years, is designed to help normally responsible people avoid the risk of a drink drive conviction – or worse still, being involved in a collision while ‘over the limit’.

Data from the Government’s THINK! campaignrevealed that in 2013 an estimated 740 reported drink drive collisions took place in the morning, and around 5,500 people fail breath tests between 6am and midday every year.

The THINK! research also found that 58% of those surveyed (800 drivers) would have four or more drinks on a night out, and still sometimes take a risk by driving the following morning – with only a third (33%) aware they could still be over the limit.