A HARD-hitting and provocative campaign to stop drink driving was launched across the county on Friday (November 28). The Essex Casualty Reduction Board (ECRB) has described it as one of the most powerful anti-drink drive campaigns ever to be seen in the

A HARD-hitting and provocative campaign to stop drink driving was launched across the county on Friday (November 28).

The Essex Casualty Reduction Board (ECRB) has described it as one of the most powerful anti-drink drive campaigns ever to be seen in the UK.

Chairman of the ECRB, Cllr Norman Hume, cabinet member for highways and Transportation, said: "Drink driving is responsible for so many avoidable injuries and deaths on our roads and we all need to pull together to tackle it.

"I believe this campaign is particularly using the latest methods such as Bluetooth technology and large screens to reach shoppers and workers in our town centres.

"Last year, our emergency services had to deal with 61 accidents in Essex in which people were seriously hurt as a result of drink driving and we need to do all we can to prevent these from happening in future.

"This campaign is particularly hard hitting and depicts the casual and accidental way that so many drink drive accidents come about and the real harm they cause.

"I hope it gets across the fact that drinking and driving is completely wrong so that we can prevent the accidents it causes happening in future".

The two-part campaign uses a short film telling the story of a fictional driver who has been drinking before driving his girlfriend home. They are then involved in an accident with the caption appearing on the screen at the end saying, "He took her breath away". The short film can be viewed at www.steamed-up.co.uk.

Chf Insp Tom Diment at Essex Police said: "Drink driving is not just a Christmas issue but one we need to remind people of throughout the year.

"If you drink and drive in Essex you are very likely to get stopped and breathalysed. Anyone who is over the legal limit will be prosecuted."

In Essex, last December 8503 breath tests were carried out on drivers in the county with two per cent of those positive. 61 serious injury accidents were the result of drink driving.