‘Drive sober’ pleads victim

A survivor of a drink-driving crash is urging Southlanders to stay off the alcohol if they plan to drive this festive season.

Drink-drive offences spiked across Southland in the 2018-19 Christmas-New Year period and police have declared they are determined to catch any offenders in coming weeks.

Court figures reveal 48 instances where drivers over the legal limit in Southland were summoned to appear between December 20, 2018, and January 5 this year.

This was much higher than the same period during the previous two years when 26 and 32 offenders were caught.

Leah Abrams knows better than most the effects of drinkdriving, having been hit by an offender in 2015.

She suffered physical and emotional injuries.

Not only did Abrams have to learn to use her arm again, after it was broken in multiple places, but she had to find the courage to get behind the wheel again.

‘‘I was scared to drive because I was worried it would happen again.’’

She still refuses to drive late at night and in the early morning hours.

But Abrams turned her traumatic experience to a positive.

She formed a national charity, NESA [No One Ever Stands Alone], which is dedicated to promoting awareness and education around the effects of drink and drugged-driving.

As someone who has seen the devastating effects of drinkdriving Abrams has a simple message. ‘‘Drive sober.’’

Senior Sergeant Jon Bisset, team leader for Southland road policing, said alcohol was a factor in a large number of avoidable deaths on the roads.

‘‘We wish people would stop taking unnecessary risks with not only their lives but the lives of families and communities,’’ he said.

He urged people to plan ahead to avoid drink-driving and promised a highly visible police presence during the festive period.

‘‘We do not want anyone driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and are determined to catch those who continue to do so.’’

Police would be at events, licensed premises, roadside checkpoints, and across the region to prevent and detect drink-driving.

The community also had its part to play by intervening if people were about to drive drunk, drugged, or tired, he said.

‘‘We can’t do this alone, we need everybody’s help.’’

Last summer, 66 people lost their lives on the roads during December and January.

‘‘I was scared to drive because I was worried it would happen again.’’ Leah Abrams