The AA wants everyone to make sure they and their friends don’t drink and drive this Labour Weekend, as statistics show it is the leading cause of road deaths over the holiday period.

From 2010 - 2012, 14 of the 22 people who died in Labour Weekend crashes were in crashes where a driver was drunk. Normally about one in three road fatalities involve alcohol. There have also been 104 people injured in Labour Weekend crashes where a driver has either been drinking or taking drugs.

“Two-thirds of the people killed on the roads over the last three Labour Weekends have been in crashes involving alcohol. That is 14 people who may well have been alive today if a driver had stayed sober,” says AA spokesperson Dylan Thomsen.

The vast majority of people don’t drink or take drugs and then drive, but they can also help by looking out for others.

“If you know someone who looks like they are going to drink and drive, do what you safely can to stop them. That might be giving them a lift home, organising a taxi, or getting them to stay the night where they are.

“If you’re going to be drinking, plan before you party. Once people have had a few drinks they lose the ability to make good judgements. Arrange a safe way to get home before you start drinking,” says Mr Thomsen.

Eliminate the drink driving risk this weekend

• Know how you are going to get home safely before you start drinking
• Don’t let a friend get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking or taking drugs
• If you are going to be drinking, make sure driving isn’t an option by leaving the car at home
• Never mix alcohol and drugs or medication. Even one or two drinks combined with other substances can be hugely impairing.

For more information contact:

Dylan Thomsen
Senior Communications Adviser
New Zealand Automobile Association
T. 04 931 9991
M. 027 703 9935
W. www.aa.co.nz

The New Zealand Automobile Association is an incorporated society with over one million members. It represents the interests of road users who collectively pay over $2 billion in taxes each year through fuels excise, road user charges and GST.