Drink-drive campaign centres on bereaved

The Association of Chief Police Officers’ Christmas campaign aims to cut the number of 
drink and drug-related road deaths.

Some 280 people were killed as a direct result of drink-driving in 2011.

Backing Acpo’s campaign is mother Jane Bennett from Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. Her 22-year-old son Scott was killed by a drunk driver in December 2010, just a few days before he was due to celebrate a family Christmas.

He had gone out with friends after the family spent the day putting up the decorations.

But instead of coming home as normal there was a knock at the door from the police in the early hours to tell Ms Bennett her son had been killed.

The driver was twice the legal alcohol limit for driving and left the scene.

He was arrested and admitted causing death by careless driving while over the alcohol limit. He was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, where he remains today.

Ms Bennett said: “I could not believe this could happen to anyone in my family. I realised how vulnerable everyone is.”

“I cry every day. Scott was only one mile from home when it happened,” she said.

“He was a young man with his whole life ahead of him and our hopes and dreams for him have been taken away.”

Deputy Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, Acpo’s road policing lead, said during 2011 drivers between 20 and 24 failed more breath tests than any other age group.