Over the course of the weekend, 20 driving licences were revoked for excessive drinking. More than 1,500 drivers have already lost their licences for the same reason this year. Out of 24 people who died in accidents, eight had been drinking. And of the 267 serious accidents that have taken place so far in 2022, alcohol was determined to be the cause in 42 cases.
“Drink driving has increasingly been causing serious and fatal accidents right after speeding”, said Minister for Mobility and Public Works François Bausch on Monday. The dangerous practice is therefore the focus of a new awareness campaign that the politician presented at the beginning of the week and right before the festive season. The campaign will remain on display until 15 January 2023.
The Ministry and non-profit organisation Road Safety are jointly launching this new campaign because of an increase in accidents since 2021. “We have noticed that alcohol consumption has increased again in the post-Covid era. When people decide to drink, they will have to find an alternative and take into account the prospect of fatal consequences for themselves and others”, warned Minister Bausch.
Through the use of what looks like labels of wine and beer bottles, the campaign thus promotes alternative ways of getting home safely. Looking closely at the vintage of one such bottle, one can read “Domain Take a Taxi”, on the label of a sparking wine it says “Domain Sleep Here”, and a beer bottle says “Pils Go Home by Bus”.
“The campaign offers alternatives if you have been drinking. It’s a wink to make you think”, summarised the Greens Minister. Campaign messages can be found on billboards, the internet, radio, TV commercials, and in the cinema.
In a friendly way, the campaign thus alerts people to the risks of serious and fatal accidents linked to drink driving and demonstrates that there are alternative ways of getting home safely.
“No taxi is too expensive to justify driving under the influence of alcohol,” noted André Schaack, chief commissioner of the Grand Ducal Police’s national traffic and road safety services. There are taxis, but also buses, trams, trains, or the option of staying with family or friends overnight.
Road Safety president Paul Hammelmann is meanwhile advocating for police to be awarded the right to carry out alcohol tests on their own initiative without having to wait for an explicit order from the prosecutor’s office.
According to Schaack, most driving licences are not actually withdrawn during these large-scale checks, but in normal life when a motorist is no longer in control of their vehicle or when they caused an accident.
