§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the effectiveness of Government advertising to prevent road accidents involving alcohol; and if he will make a statement. [7570]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Government campaigns to prevent road accidents involving alcohol have been instrumental in changing driver behaviour and making drinking and driving unacceptable to the public.
All campaigns are evaluated for effectiveness through market research and public attitudes to drinking and driving are regularly monitored. Research carried out over the last twenty years, among men who drive and also drink outside the home, shows that:
those who had driven after drinking on at least one occasion in the last week had fallen from 51 per cent. to 25 per cent.the proportion drinking 6+ units (1 unit equals about ½ pint of ordinary strength beer, 25ml of spirits or 100m1 wine) and then driving on at least one occasion in the last week fell from 15 per cent. to 4 per cent.The proportion claiming to leave the car at home increased from 54 per cent. to 75 per cent. and the proportion claiming to arrange for someone else to drive increased from 48 per cent. to 61 per cent.There has also been a marked reduction in belief that it is difficult to avoid drinking and driving in the social context (61 per cent. to 25 per cent.) and that knowing you will have to drive spoils the evening.These campaigns, together with enforcement action by police forces, have helped reduce drink/drive fatalities from 1,550 in 1982 to 540 in 1995.