South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) is urging people across the region to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs this Road Safety Week – warning that one reckless decision can destroy lives in seconds.
The call comes from Marketa Ballan, a paramedic and clinical team educator based at the Blue Light Hub in Milton Keynes, who has treated numerous patients harmed by drink and drug driving during her paramedic career.
Marketa said:
“I will never forget the night we were called to a crash on a rural road, where a car had left the carriageway and gone straight into a house. Inside the vehicle was a young man, just a passenger, who had been out with friends. One of them, the driver, was intoxicated and lost control.
“The driver fortunately only had minor injuries, but his friend in the passenger seat was in a critical condition. Whilst we were able to save his life and get him to hospital, we were unable to save his leg and he has been left with life-changing injuries.
“Scenes like that stay with you. But what frustrates me is that they’re not ‘freak accidents’ – they’re entirely preventable. No night out, no lift home and no excuse is worth risking a life or a limb.”
Nearly 2,000 people a year are killed or seriously injured on UK roads as a result of drink and drug-related collisions. According to Ministry of Justice data, last year 36,415 drivers in England and Wales were convicted of drink-driving offences, an average of more than 3,000 convictions every month.
Marketa added:
“Those numbers are not just statistics on a page – they are families left grieving, people facing amputations, brain injuries and lifelong pain, and emergency teams who have to deliver that news at the roadside or in hospital.
“We still see drivers who think, ‘It’s just a short journey’, or ‘I feel fine’. But your judgement, reaction times and coordination are affected long before you feel obviously high or drunk. Please don’t drive under the influence, nor get in a car with a driver who you think is.”
Marketa’s key messages for Road Safety Week:
- Plan your journey home before you go out – book a taxi, agreed a designated sober driver, or arrange to stay over
- Never get in a car with a driver who has been drinking or using drugs – however awkward the conversation, it is easier than months in hospital or going to a funeral
- Look out for friends – if someone is about to drive after drinking or using drugs, step in and help them find a safer option
- Remember the morning after – alcohol and some drugs can stay in your system; you can still be over the limit or impaired the next day
You can watch Marketa’s appeal here:
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