This in from Sherie at the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. Ed
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance is supporting this year’s ‘Smashed Christmas’ drink-drive campaign which comes from Hampshire Constabulary during the festive season, to try and prevent unnecessary accidents occurring over Christmas.
A huge 33% of missions that the Air Ambulance went to in the past year were road traffic collisions, the highest percentage of incidents attended. In winter the roads can be more dangerous than other times of the year anyway, without the added hazard of drink-driving.
20 died from alcohol related road collisions
Last year 164 people across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, and Thames Valley area were involved in serious collisions where alcohol was a factor. Of those, 144 people were seriously injured and 20 died.
John Perry, Chief Executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance said. “We feel it is very important to get right behind this campaign, after attending a high number of road traffic collisions in the past year. If there is a way in which we can help to reduce this figure then we are supporting it.”
