Men aged between 25 and 34 are being targeted in the run up to Christmas with a drink driving campaign created by Think!.

The campaign, which runs from 01 – 31 December 2016, warns of the dangers of drink-driving and the consequences it can result in.

As part of the campaign, daily social media adverts on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Spotify titled ‘FOMO’ (Fear of Missing Out), will be posted to highlight the risk of serious injury and death if a person drinks and drives. Police officers across the UK will also be on patrol, specifically targeting drink drivers with roadside testing during the period.

The campaign comes on the back of research from the Department for Transport (DfT), which found men aged 25-34 account for almost two-thirds of drink drivers killed on UK roads each year.

The research also revealed that a fifth of young men admitted to driving after having two or more drinks, while an extra 11% said that they had considered it in the past. A third of those surveyed felt that it wouldn’t have a negative effect on their driving.

In addition, research by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has also shown that having a second alcoholic drink doubles a driver’s chances of being involved in a fatal accident.

Imogen Wetton, senior serious injury solicitor at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “For most, Christmas is all about spending time with loved ones, filling your boots with food and being merry, but this doesn’t excuse people from ignoring the law and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after they’ve had a drink.

“Unfortunately, after countless road safety campaigns and news reports of deaths caused by drink driving, many drivers still fail to recognise the risks and ‘chance it’, thinking that they won’t be affected by a few drinks. The NICE statistics prove that they couldn’t be more wrong.

“We hope that this campaign will dissuade drivers from getting behind the wheel after drinking this season, but it’s important to remember that this sort of behaviour is socially unacceptable throughout the year, not just at Christmas. In addition to road safety campaigns, tougher laws and prison sentences are needed if we are to see a reduction in the number of unnecessary deaths and serious injuries reported on UK roads as a result of drink-driving.”