A message from Durham Police and Crime Commissioner... One Last Holiday Drink Is Never Worth Another Person’s Life - do not fly, drink, then drive.

A holiday should end with memories, photographs, and a safe journey home. But for some families, a journey home from the airport can end in tragedy and for survivors and bereaved families, it can mean living with a lifetime of heartache and unimaginable grief.

That is why I am once again putting my full support behind Operation Take Off and its simple but potentially life-saving message: do not fly, drink, then drive.

This powerful local campaign was created following such a tragedy. In May 2024, baby Zackary Blades and his aunt Karlene Warner were killed while travelling home from Newcastle International Airport. The man who killed them had just returned from holiday and chose to get in his vehicle to drive home despite being nearly three times over the drink-drive limit.

It was not an unavoidable accident. It was the devastating consequence of a reckless and dangerous decision to drive home while impaired. This appalling decision cost two innocent lives and left their families and friends devastated. 

Zackary’s mum, Shalorna, survived that horrific collision but lost her precious baby son and her sister. The courage shown by her and her family in turning unimaginable grief into a determination to protect others deserves more than our admiration. It demands action. Operation Take Off is part of that action.

As thousands of people travel through our airports this summer, we are again reminding passengers that alcohol does not disappear from your bloodstream when the wheels of the aircraft touch the runway.

If you are driving when you land, the safest choice is simple: do not drink. And my message goes further. As Police and Crime Commissioner, I want to see a zero-tolerance culture towards drink and drug driving. Nobody has the right to gamble with another person’s life simply because they want to get home more quickly or believe they are “safe to drive.”

That means investing in prevention and education, but it must also mean relentless enforcement too. So, I will continue supporting our Roads Policing officers to target those who put others at risk and to use intelligence, technology, and proactive operations to take dangerous drivers off our roads before they kill or seriously injure innocent motorists and their passengers.

I am also continuing to press nationally for stronger action on drink and drug driving. We need laws, enforcement powers, testing technology, and tougher sentencing that reflect the devastating harm these offences can cause.

My ambition is clear: Vision Zero. No deaths on our roads, fewer serious injuries, and no family suffering a preventable tragedy because somebody chose to drive impaired.

So, enjoy your holiday. Have fun, but plan how you are getting home. Book a taxi. Use public transport. Nominate a sober driver. Leave the car until the following day.

Because there is no excuse for drink or drug driving, and the consequences can be fatal.

Do not fly, drink, then drive. One last holiday drink is never worth another person’s life.