The government and policing leaders have moved to tighten December enforcement against drink and drug driving. On 11 December 2025, Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood joined Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner on a drive‑along to observe frontline checks, signalling central support for enhanced activity during the festive period.
According to the Department for Transport’s 11 December news release, the activity forms part of ongoing collaboration with forces and local partners to improve public safety and reduce pressure on the NHS ahead of a forthcoming Road Safety Strategy. The emphasis this month is deterrence, visibility and swift enforcement.
Police forces are running enhanced roadside operations through the National Police Chiefs’ Council programme Operation Limit. Shiner, the NPCC lead for roads policing, said the December focus aligns with a clear public message not to drive after consuming alcohol or drugs and is coordinated with the government’s THINK! campaign.
THINK! has launched its first drug‑driving campaign in ten years, aimed at young male drivers who remain disproportionately represented in casualty data. Department for Transport analysis to 2023 indicates that around 90% of drivers impaired by drugs in collisions are male, with roughly four in ten aged 17 to 30.
The new adverts are running online and out of home, using police data to target drug‑driving hotspots across England and Wales. Government communication describes the approach as coupling behaviour‑change messaging with visible enforcement during the busiest social period of the year.
Ministers are also partnering with major drinks brands under the THINK! 0% banner to normalise alcohol‑free choices for motorists. In December 2025, a Captain Morgan 0.0% x THINK! 0% ‘Captain of the Night’ activation launched at a London pub, offering designated drivers a free Captain Morgan 0.0% and cola in selected Stonegate venues.
Heineken and Peroni have confirmed further activity in the lead‑up to Christmas. Heineken will carry THINK! 0% messaging across its Star Pubs estate, including on staff uniforms and via online advertising, while Peroni will work with Greene King to promote 0.0% options and share campaign content through digital channels.
Greenwood reiterated that no one should drive under the influence and stressed that partnerships with police and well‑known brands are intended to encourage a simple choice for motorists: select 0.0% if you are driving. She linked the push to wider objectives on community safety and easing winter pressures on the health service.
Shiner characterised drink and drug driving as dangerous for passengers and other road users and welcomed the alignment between enforcement through Operation Limit and the THINK! communications campaign. Her message to motorists was direct: do not drive if you have been drinking or taking drugs.
For road safety leads and local partners, the combination of targeted advertising and visible roadside checks signals a coordinated December effort. Participating venues are expected to foreground alcohol‑free options for drivers, while police continue data‑led deployments in local hotspots. Further policy detail is expected with the Road Safety Strategy in due course.