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Who will be designated driver this Christmas? Tips from IAM RoadSmart

Posted on 04/12/18 |
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Being the designated driver for an evening out is not everyone’s top choice during the Christmas season, however there are some options which could change your opinion.

This week’s tips, presented by IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards, Richard Gladman, are for those who feel they have drawn the short straw and been nominated to drive on a night out.

  1. Being the nominated driver can have its benefits: some places offer free soft drinks on a buy one get one free basis, so check out this website to see if any of your local haunts are included. https://www.cocacola.co.uk/coca-cola/designateddriver/
  2. If you are the driver, make sure your friends are not so tipsy that they are no longer controllable in your car. The last thing you need is a drunk friend giving you driving advice. Having someone behaving badly in a vehicle can be dangerous, and if a passenger is proving too much of a distraction, you should pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so.
  3. Agree a leaving time with your friends and ask them to cover the parking charges Technically you may invalidate your insurance if you take any ‘petrol money.'
  4. Very often people just want their transport arranged and don’t mind who drives as long as it’s not them! In which case it might be worth pre-arranging a cab or minibus – don’t leave it too late as these things are best booked and paid for in advance. Research shows that women are much better at this, so gentlemen take at leaf out of their book and plan ahead.
  5. What about public transport? For many people taking a journey on public transport is the best option, especially if there are only one or two of you going in the same direction. But if you are in a larger group then a taxi might even work out cheaper per person.
  6. Remember if you are the nominated driver it’s best to have no alcohol at all, even one drink will affect the way you drive without you being aware of it.
  7. Not being the designated driver on a night out can also have ramifications for getting in the car the morning after. As a rough guide it takes the body one hour to rid itself of one unit of alcohol (a strong pint of lager or 250ml glass of wine may contain three units each). And the clock starts from when you finish drinking, not when you start. If you can remember what you had you can always get a rough calculation from http://morning-after.org.uk/?page_id=82 but it should only be used as a guide.
  8. Last but not least, if you are travelling the last part of the journey on your own, have an arrangement with someone to text them and let them know you are safely home.

Richard said: “It’s never been easier to be the designated driver with lots of national and local schemes in place to reward you for being responsible. You may even enjoy the evening more if you can remember all about it. In a close knit group of friends, if you all take your turn being the designated driver then you’re able to share the fun. Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and remember that the designated driver doesn’t get a hangover.” 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1.       Richard Gladman is IAM RoadSmart’s head of driving and riding standards.

2.       IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from online assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests. IAM RoadSmart is the trading name of all businesses operated by the UK’s largest road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and was formed in April 2016 combining the IAM, IAM Drive & Survive, PDS and IAM Driver Retraining Academy. The organisation has 92,000 members and campaigns on road safety on their behalf. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while our Driver Retraining Academy has helped 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart products and services visit the new website www.iamroadsmart.com

To find out the name of your own local IAM RoadSmart group please visit: https://wwwiamroadsmart.com/local-groups

Media contacts:

Further information from:

IAM RoadSmart press office – 020 8996 9777 

press.office@iam.org.uk / www.iamroadsmart.com

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On Twitter: @IAMRoadSmart  

ENDS ALL