Highlighting the “snowball effect” of a drink drive conviction, the campaign says that up to one million people work in jobs they could lose as a result of a drink-drive conviction, while a survey has shown that almost a third (27%) of people would have to give up their job because they rely on a car to get to work.
People who drive as part of their job are particularly vulnerable but someone with a conviction could also be denied access to millions more jobs which are eligible for criminal records checks. These jobs include professional driving jobs, teachers, care workers and jobs in banks and finance. Any employer can ask to see unspent criminal convictions and research shows that three-quarters of employers admit to taking a criminal conviction into account during the recruitment process.
Launching the “Snowball Effect” drink-drive campaign, Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said: ‘For many people Christmas is about spending time with friends and family and celebrating, but if drivers have a tipple they should not get behind the wheel.
‘Just one drink can put you over the limit and the consequences are devastating – not only will you be cuffed and put in a cell, but if you’re convicted you will lose your licence and, as this research shows, you could even lose your job.’
Roger Singer, head of Drink Driver Education, said: ‘I help hundreds of drink drivers every year, and they all say the impact of their conviction is much more severe and far-reaching than they imagined.
‘Everyone I meet has been given at least a 12-month driving ban. For many this meant instant dismissal from their jobs, for some it meant resigning because they couldn’t get to work. Many haven’t applied for future roles they want because of the conviction and have got stuck in careers they hate.’
