Shropshire revellers warned to think about getting home over festive period
Shropshire revellers were today urged to plan their journey home in a bid to reduce drink-driving.
Bosses at Go Carz, one of the largest taxi firms in Shropshire, said a major problem was that people did not plan their journey home in advance – sometimes leaving themselves with no other option but to get behind the wheel and drive.
It comes as police carry out their month-long crackdown on people driving while drunk or high on drugs – with 49 people arrested in the first week of the Christmas and New Year crackdown.
Go Carz has more than 700 vehicles in operation and managing director, Carl Wilday, has urged people to think about their journey home well in advance before they head out for a night of festive fun.
He said: "The fact that the police made almost 50 arrests in the first week of their crackdown on people driving while under the influence of drink and drugs just shows that drivers are still not getting the message.
"A problem which all taxi firms get at this time of year is that people only decide they want to order a taxi at the end of the evening after they have had a few drinks and then find that none are available.
"With the best will in the world, no matter how many cars we had working in Shropshire in the run-up to Christmas, there would never be enough to cope with demand during the 11pm to 2am peak period.
"The important message we want to get out there is that people need to book their taxi in advance."
West Mercia Police is targeting motorists during December who put lives at risk by driving while drunk or after taking drugs.
The police said officers would be out in force, 24 hours a day, to breathalyse drivers and carry out tests to catch anyone driving under the influence of illegal substances.
Inspector Greg Jennings, from the Central Motorway Police Group, said: "Collisions caused by drink and drug driving regularly result in serious injuries and deaths on our roads.
"Combining drink and illegal drugs is especially deadly; it has been found that drivers who have consumed both are 23 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than sober drivers.
"I would urge people who are planning a night out to pre-book a taxi or nominate a designated driver who doesn't drink anything," Inspector Jennings added.
The police campaign last Christmas saw 2,437 motorists stopped for breath tests with 285 providing a positive test or failing to provide a sample.
