Coca Cola to Reward Designated Drivers

28 November 2012

Safety-conscious Designated Drivers will have something extra to smile about this Christmas with the news that more than 250 pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants will be giving away free non-alcoholic beverages this festive season, courtesy of Coca-Cola.

The 2012 Coca-Cola Designated Driver campaign goes live on Monday 26th November and runs until Sunday 30th December 2012 and is supported by the PSNI, DOE, Pubs of Ulster and the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation.

 

Paula Colhoun, Marketing Manager, Licensed Trade, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland, said: “Christmas is a time of celebrating with family and friends and through the Designated Driver programme, Coca-Cola is offering consumers free soft drinks, juices and bottled water as a reward for making the responsible decision to be the designated driver during the festive season.”

 

Inspector Rosie Leech, PSNI, said:  “We are delighted to support this very worthwhile campaign. Our message to road users is very simple. Do not drink and drive. We do not want officers knocking on doors at any time of the year, but especially over Christmas and the New Year, to tell families that a loved one has been killed on the roads because someone decided to drive after drinking.”

 

Iain Greenway, Director of DOE Road Safety & Vehicle Regulation advised: “As we look forward to Christmas, we have a duty to our own families and friends to ensure we are there to celebrate with them. We also have to ensure other people are able to celebrate with their relatives and friends too.  The safest way to do that is to book a taxi or have a designated driver who will not drink alcohol.

 

“Last year, nine drivers or riders were killed and 87 were seriously injured in collisions attributed to alcohol or drugs.  All of these families’ lives changed forever the moment those drivers responsible took a drink and decided to drive.

 

“My message to all drivers is clear: just one drink will impair you’re driving.  It is your fault if someone dies or is seriously injured because you decided to drink and drive.”

 

In order to cater for personal preferences, consumers can choose from the extensive Coca-Cola portfolio including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Fanta Orange, Fanta Lemon, Fruice Juices and Cordials, Deep RiverRock Still and Sparkling and Appletiser.

 

The campaign website www.designateddriver.ie provides a full list of participating licensed outlets across Northern Ireland. The newly updated website, also accessed via cokezone.ie will allow Designated Drivers to download their free drinks vouchers before they visit the venues and even download an App to their mobile device that will allow them to locate their nearest participating outlets.

 

A Designated Driver is defined as someone who is driving friends and family home from a night out socialising, while abstaining from alcohol for the evening. The Designated Driver may avail of FREE soft drinks from the Coca-Cola range over the course of the evening in participating licensed premises.