Long Sutton pub reports success with its 'Designated Drivers' scheme to stop people drink driving during December
Efforts by a Long Sutton pub to stop its customers drinking and driving during December have proved so successful that it may now become an all year round exercise.
The Ship, in London Road, Long Sutton, ran its own "Designated Drivers" scheme where anyone nominated to take a group of friends home after eating could have free, unlimited soft drinks with their meal.
Lucy Smith (19), one of the bar staff at The Ship and who came up with the idea, said: "The campaign has been very successful and very popular.
"A fair few tables claimed the free drinks offer each night over December and the scheme became a real talking point.
"Lately, people have been sorting out lifts home, rather than driving, and all the bar staff feel much more aware of drink driving and its possible consequences.
"We really have noticed how things have improved and I've even given a couple of our regulars who I know well a lift home at the end of the night when someone cancelled on them or if they ended up having too many drinks.
"But for me, the best thing about it was that it seems to have deterred our customers from drink driving and they've been aware that the police were supporting the initiative as it's been recognised that drink driving is an issue in Long Sutton."
The scheme was backed by Inspector Gareth Boxall, neighbourhood policing inspector for South Holland, and Detective Inspector (DI) Ewen Gell, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at the East Midlands Operational Support Service.
DI Gell said: "It is commendable that this local business has taken this step to proactively help with road safety in their area and it would be good to see others following this lead."
Lucy's idea came after research carried out for the 2017 Lincolnshire Road Safety Summit showed that, between 2012 and 2016, more drink and drug driving-related crashes involved casualties from South Holland than any other district in Lincolnshire.
"To the best of my knowledge, none of our customers were involved in any incidents related to drink driving over the December period," Lucy said.
"A few of the lads who would have regularly considered drink driving have stopped themselves from doing so and have instead been dropped off and arranged a lift home."
Inspector Boxall said: "I thoroughly welcome this initiative by The Ship in Long Sutton as drink driving can have a devastating effect on the lives of those who are killed or injured as a result."
Landlord Phil Ward said: "The initiative went down really well with the locals and the response that we got was overwhelming.
"We didn’t think it would get the reaction it did and I'm very proud that it was my pub which was the first one in Long Sutton to recognise and tackle the problem of drink driving in the area.
"A big thank you as well goes to Lucy for coming up with the idea and following it through."
